88 pages • 2 hours read
Geoff RodkeyWe're Not from Here
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Can you see similarities between the Zhuri government system and the modern American system? If so, what are those similarities, and what messages might Rodkey be trying to convey about the American two-party system?
We’re Not From Here explores the impact media has on public opinion. Discuss how the Zhuri media creates and exacerbates the problems related to humans’ presence. What are the pros and cons of having only one news outlet? Would having a second news channel help the Zhuri better understand the humans? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
While Zhuri emotion seems to be straightforward with each emotion having a distinct smell, human emotions are often more complex; a single facial expression may mean multiple things. Compare and contrast the pros and cons to how humans and Zhuri show emotion. Which is more efficient? Why? Could either species make their emotions clearer to others? If so, how?
Lan is given no identifying characteristics (gender, race, ethnicity, etc.) in We’re Not From Here. How did you picture Lan? What about Lan’s character made you picture them that way? How might your response to the book differ if Lan had one or more clearly specified identities?
What messages does We’re Not From Here offer about change? How do the fates of those who accept change differ from those who reject it? Does We’re Not From Here support the idea that change—even positive change—is stressful? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
If you had been in charge of the Zhuri government following the Nug massacre, how would you have handled the situation? Would you have banned emotion like the Zhuri traditionalists? If you chose a different solution, why do you think it would be more effective than the traditionalist ban? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
The Zhuri and humans of We’re Not From Here participate in the groupthink phenomenon—a situation in which people seek out consensus, abandoning individual opinions to fit in. Based on the differences between the Zhuri/humans and Ororo/Krik, what are the benefits and drawbacks of groupthink? Does groupthink seem like a positive or negative way to view the world? Why? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
In Chapter 11, Leeni points out the similarities between Earth’s violent history and its entertainment. Why do you think human entertainment is often violent? Do you think the level of violence in entertainment varies across cultures? If so, what elements of a culture might lead it to develop more violent forms of entertainment?
Why do you think Rodkey chose to include the final chapter in We’re Not From Here? How does Chapter 27 illustrate that people from different groups can learn to live in peace?
Science fiction often questions the norms of real-world societies. What human norms or practices does We’re Not From Here question, and what conclusions does it draw? Do you agree with the book’s take on these norms/practices? Why or why not?
