Ideas for Group Discussions
As the discussion and reviews illustrate, Paradise is primarily a novel that explores themes of race, gender, and the attitudes shaped by these constructs. The murder of the "white woman" stands as the initial and arguably the most perilous crime committed by the men. But who is this "white girl"? Morrison has mentioned in lectures that the answer is "obvious," yet knowledgeable reviewers have pointed to Seneca, Pallas, and Mavis as potential candidates. How do we interpret the paradox that Ruby's creation revolves around race and the recurring mention of the woman's whiteness, but her exact identity remains unconfirmed? Each reader gathers their own set of clues. Does this imply that much violence and exclusion are race-based, yet we cannot definitively identify the white character without explicit confirmation? Could it be that race becomes irrelevant if women (or men?) can find solidarity among themselves? Here are some additional prompts for group discussions. A comprehensive set of twenty discussion questions is available on the Random House website at http://www.randomhouse.com/features/morrison/paradise/rgg.html.
1. How do you feel about the novel's ambiguous ending? Would you have preferred if Morrison provided a more traditional closure to her narrative?
2. Is there hope for Ruby by the novel's conclusion? Will Deacon's transformation and Misner's determination lead to significant change? Has the violence served as a form of therapy for the town, or will Steward and K.D. continue the cycle of patriarchy?
3. How crucial is the dead white family to the racial themes in Paradise? Although the Convent is not responsible for their hypothermia, the patriarchs blame them. Is Steward to blame? Is Anna Flood? Is Reverend Misner? Could any of them have prevented the family from venturing into the storm? Is Ruby's racism so pervasive that the family felt unwelcome, or did they ignore the warnings from these black citizens about the harsh Oklahoma winters?
4. Does the introduction of Piedade provide artistic closure or is it a flaw in the novel? Her song concludes the book, and Connie presented Piedade as a mythic, matriarchal figure during her and the women's rehabilitation. How effectively does Piedade bring resolution to the novel?
5. Is Paradise overly anti-patriarchal in its stance? In a town of 360 residents, only two adult men are not sexist, and one reaches this point only after witnessing his twin brother commit two murders. Is this portrayal realistic? Is it thematically accurate?
6. Multiple characters hear the sounds of children at the Convent, yet only Pallas gives birth near the end of the story. Are these sounds mere illusions? If so, are they shared by everyone? Considering the novel's ties to magic realism, could Merle, Pearl, Che, and other aborted children be lingering as ghostly echoes? How does this possibility connect to the themes of matriarchy?
7. Sweetie Fleetwood is the sole townswoman who visits the Convent and comes back with horrifying tales of the depravity there, which strengthens the town's tendency to scapegoat. How did her experience differ from that of Soane or Billie Delia? Is Sweetie merely an extreme casualty of patriarchy?
8. Soane Morgan's decision to invite the Convent women to K. D. and Arnette's wedding ends disastrously. What motivated her to do this? Are there hints in the novel suggesting she might have intended to incite this conflict?
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