57 pages • 1 hour read
Jennifer Richard JacobsonPaper Things
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Ari’s paper things have multiple purposes in her life during the time that she needs and uses them. What are these purposes? Do you think she has outgrown them, or will she revive them now that she feels safe?
In what ways did the novel make you think differently about the experience of being unhoused? Cite detailed examples from the book when writing your response.
Compare the characters of Louisa May Alcott and Ari. Do you think Ari becomes more like or less like Alcott as the book progresses? Why?
Apart from Ari’s own paper things, what other examples of paper-based symbols can you find in the novel? Why are these meaningful, both as individual symbols and collectively?
Paper Things includes examples of abuse, bullying, and discrimination toward people without homes. What do you think the novel has to say about the characters who behave this way? Why?
Do you think anyone is to blame for Ari’s period of homelessness? If so, who? Why or why not?
Analyze how the book draws on ideas of the past to explore difficult emotions such as loss and regret.
Look in detail at the book’s first-person perspective to consider the ways in which Ari’s childishness and maturity are portrayed. How does this shape your reading of her character and experience?
What are the causes and effects of the tensions between Ari and Gage? How does their relationship shape the novel’s presentation of the emotional challenges they face?
Research why homelessness is such a prevalent issue among youth today, focusing on what factors contribute to this problem and which group of people are most at risk. What social changes would you make to improve this situation?
