The Great Gilly Hopkins

Gilly’s actions cover up sadness that she hides from everyone. Think about another novel that shows a similar character. Compare and contrast Gilly Hopkins to this character.

Gilly’s insensitivity toward those who are different from herself is one of the character flaws she displays at the beginning of the novel. How does Gilly’s views of those who are different from herself change as she grows as a person? What events cause Gilly to rethink her attitude toward others? Which characters are especially positive influences on Gilly?

What is the significance of the two names that Gilly goes by in the novel (Gilly and Galadriel)? How does the author use these two names to show Gilly’s change as she begins to accept herself?

Letters are an important means of communication in the novel. How do letters influence certain characters’ choices? do these letters say about how the relationships between the characters changed?

When Gilly goes to live with her grandmother in Virginia, she is upset at first. However, she ends up liking her grandmother. Discuss an event that changed your life that you initially thought was negative, but in the end turned out well.

How does the author show the harmful effects of bullying? How do characters who are bullies change and become kinder? How do characters who have been bullied, such as William Ernest, become more confident in themselves?

Race and social class are important themes in the novel. How does the author explore these themes through Gilly’s changing perception of the people in Thompson Park?

How does the poem “Intimations of Immortality” by William Wordsworth influence Gilly’s views of home, family, and her own self-worth?