Topics for Discussion
Max's Confusing Memories
1. What could possibly lead Max to completely misplace the memory of registering his Jeep Cherokee?
Complex Emotions
2. Max admits, "I hated her [Eve I's] long hair and what it symbolized, yet somehow, my heart wouldn't allow me to despise her." What could be the reason behind this inner conflict?
Trust and Betrayal
3. Max expresses, "I also knew that they [Eve II and Sylvan II] were fundamentally good-hearted. I had faith in them." Strangely enough, these individuals are the very ones who wiped his memory by drugging him! What could make him trust them, even momentarily?
Temporal Chaos
4. Why might machines find it challenging to operate amidst the disarray of time?
Fleeting Appearances
5. In the midst of this chaos, why do people seem to come and go, sometimes gathering in throngs, at other times standing alone, or even vanishing entirely?
Time Navigation
6. Why must characters perform registrations of people and objects on their phasers to transport them across the fabric of time?
Complexity of the Narrative
7. Is Strange Attractors excessively intricate? If so, at what point in the narrative does this complexity obscure your understanding?
Target Audience
8. To whom is Sleator's Strange Attractors directed? What elements within the story provide insight into the intended reader's sophistication?
Symbolic Names
9. The name Sylvan evokes images of lush forests, while Eve calls to mind the primordial woman. How do these symbolic names function within the narrative of Strange Attractors?
Character Clarity
10. How effectively does Sleator distinguish between the various iterations of Sylvan and Eve?
Judging Character
11. Is Max a virtuous individual? What elements within the story reveal the presence or absence of his moral integrity?
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