What Comes After

The nature of friendship is an important element of the novel’s major and minor events. Pick three depictions of friendship. How do those depictions connect to the novel’s important symbols, character development, and/or thematic elements?

Quakerism is the primary religion in the novel, but it also refers to Catholicism, and Viv is described as a born-again Christian. Analyze the discussions of non-Quaker religion in the novel. How do they impact one of the major themes?

The natural landscape provides the novel’s scenic backdrop but also connects to both character and plot. Choose two to four images of nature in the novel. How do they affect some element of the novel’s development?

Many of the novel’s minor characters affect the decisions and development of the focal characters. Choose three of these minor characters and analyze their role in the story. In particular, how do they contribute to the story’s imagery, character development, and major themes?

The story unfolds largely through memories, flashbacks, and shifting points of view. Compose an essay examining this structure. How does the author’s choice to use a nonlinear structure impact the primary themes and character development?

All the main characters and several minor characters have biblical names. Choose four characters and compare their stories in the novel with their counterparts in the Bible. How does the novel use the biblical allusion in these names to deepen or challenge each characterization?

Evangeline struggles between hope and cynicism throughout the novel. Find three passages that highlight her inner conflict and analyze their imagery, diction, and any secondary themes, symbols, or motifs. How do these elements help reveal the effect of that conflict on her characterization or the development of the primary themes?

Evangeline is an atypical teen girl, but she has interactions with several other adolescent girls at her high school. Examine these interactions and compose an essay explaining their significance. How do Evangeline’s interactions with them impact the novel’s themes or character development?