Trace the symbolic significance of physical spaces not explored in the guide, including school and the parlor. What do these settings represent?

Examine the role of the narrator in shaping the reader’s interpretation of events. How does the narrator’s direct, commentary influence the text? How would the story change if the novel were written in a third-person omniscient point of view?

Compare the function of suffering in the character arcs of Katy Carr in What Katy Did and Beth March in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. While both novels use illness to explore feminine virtue, how do their portrayals differ?

Helen and Dr. Carr are the primary mentors for Katy throughout the novel. However, other characters directly and indirectly influence Katy’s transformation. Examine at least two other characters and determine the impact they have had on the protagonist.

Although children’s literature is often light-hearted, What Katy Did also addresses difficult topics like death and disability. As a result, how would you describe the tone of the novel?

The novel’s themes all relate in some way to a person’s identity, whether it is the process of coming of age, redefining ambitions, or understanding close relationships. What might Coolidge be suggesting about identity?

Dr. Carr’s wife, although deceased, is mentioned multiple times throughout the narrative. How does her absence impact theme and character development? How would the story shift if she were still present in the family’s life?

In what ways does the novel embrace realism? How does it compare to other realistic children’s literature from the 19th century and today?