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For possibly the first time, we could not find discussion questions for a book club selection! I never thought Google would fail me but it happened.
So we decided to make our own questions! It was easy: through discussion of the book, we naturally had questions of our own. That and we've used enough of these sorts of prompts over the years that this felt like familiar territory.
I think the parts that we discussed the most and that intrigued us most were the historical elements Ondaatje encorporated into the narrative. It was fascinating to read about structures in Toronto, such as the Bloor Viaduct and the waterworks, and how they were built. We were all familiar with Ondaatje's literary style and found this book a more satisfying read than Divisadero, a past werking title pick.
And now what you've been waiting for: Discussion Questions! Scholars we are not but these are some topics we wondered and discussed ourselves.
1. Why does Patrick's father become a dynamiter? How does this influence Patrick's life?
2. Patrick watches Finnish loggers skating at night, observing them at play. How does this prelude his later interactions with other immigrant communities?
3. Why does Ondaatje include historical people, places and things in the novel? Ambrose Small and Rowland Harris are historical figures - does this influence the way the novel should be read or does it just ground the story in Toronto history?
4. What is the symbolic significance of Patrick becoming a "searcher"? How is he a searcher throughout his life? What is he searching for?
5. What is the nature of Clara & Alice's relationship?
6. Alice describes several distinct periods in her life. How does her art and career as an actress imitate her life or does her life imitate her art?
7. Patrick is a Canadian-born living and working amid several immigrant communities in Toronto. Describe how the novel illustrates the nature of community and belonging for Patrick and the new immigrants.
8. Throughout the novel there are detailed descriptions of miserable working conditions among the poor and working class and, by contrast, the extravagant lifestyle of the rich, including Harris' decision to use herringbone tiles at the waterworks. What political or social commentary does the novel make?
9. Patrick sets out to destroy public property after Alice dies. Were his actions triggered by grief or is he trying to make a grander social statement? Who does Patrick blame for his grief and how does he choose his targets for the vandalism?
10. Who owned the bag of dynamite Alice was carrying when she died?
11. Was Patrick's confrontation with Harris a dream/fantasy?
12. What does the novel say about obsessive love? How is Clara's relationship with Ambrose toxic? Why does the novel end with Patrick goes to Clara?
13. What is the significance of the title and prefacing quotation from The Epic of Gilgamesh?
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3 comments:
Hey! Here are my thoughts...
1. From what I understood, it was actually safer to be the blower-upper, than it was to actually chop the trees down or drive the logs up the river. Ironic, to say the least! When Patrick described how he had to swim among the logs to plant the dynamite, my heart was in my throat. I can’t imagine being so nonchalant about something so dangerous! Ondaatje’s writing style has an uncanny way of putting me at ease, even during a suspenseful moment like this though. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think his father’s profession influenced Patrick in that he was never afraid to take a gamble, if it meant getting the job done. How’s that for work ethic?
2. I think I remember Patrick remarking how he had no idea what nationality the Finnish skaters were, until years later when he met another man from Finland and was able to talk to him. That kind of ignorance – or innocence – made it possible for Patrick to look at people of different ethnic backgrounds without prejudice. And the fact that he worked with immigrants throughout his entire life desensitized Patrick even more… he had always been immersed in other cultures, he never thought more of one or the other. Kinda like living in Toronto; there are so many cultures in the city, you don’t think twice about meeting someone with different coloured skin, some other religious belief, or someone wearing distinctly ethnic clothing.
3. I think authors who include hard facts into fiction are creating a sense of time and place. It’s almost like a cop-out… the stories, characters and setting have already been created, and you just need to adapt your work to fit in (or vice versa). I’m not saying it’s not just as much work to write a historically accurate piece of fiction, it’s more really. The research involved, and the responsibility of getting the facts straight, is just as important as writing the story itself. When I read historical fiction, I try to make an effort to learn more about the characters- and it’s cool that you have that option. I think Ondaatje’s inclusion of Small and Harris gave him a sturdy base to build up from; it made the novel even more believable, and gave the readers something concrete to relate to, which is a common goal of authors. My construction analogies are completely by accident, by the way. ;)
4. I think Patrick was searching for family, in the broad sense of the word. He was looking for that place where he belonged, where he could be taken care of and where he could offer to take care of those he cared for. He never knew his mother, and never belonged to any kind of religious congregation. I can see how that would leave a person searching for one thing or another. My favourite relationship was the bond between Patrick and Alice’s daughter (I can’t remember her name right now).
5. I think their relationship was as extensive as your imagination wanted it to be, whatever you were comfortable with. That’s a smooth trick; insinuating one thing, but not necessarily writing it in stone. They were part of the entertainment scene, and no matter what decade the story takes place in, there’s sure to be some sexual freedoms taken. LOL
(to be continued in next comment)
6. I never really understood why Alice was involved with the gatherings in the Waterworks. I get that she was a passionate person, and that she was a slave for her art. But was she an immigrant? I thought she was a Canadian. So, with that, I think my answer would be that her life imitated her art. She brought drama onto herself, because that was her profession. But we’re all guilty of being drama whores, at least a little bit, no matter what job we have.
7. I kinda answered this in #2. :)
8. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Survival of the fittest. The nice guy always comes in last. Take your pick! Common themes for a novel, but Ondaatje wrote about it with such grace and style, that I didn’t find it cumbersome at all.
9. This part of the book was confusing to me. I got lost when he started the fire, and the gap that Ondaatje left (the five years Patrick was in prison) seemed too large. I wish he would’ve expanded on Patrick and Caravaggio’s relationship a bit more. So, I don’t really know what to think about his arson attempt. Patrick seemed to me like he had less of a political agenda than the other characters in the novel. He was more of a follower than a leader. I think he started the fire more out of grief, than from a social activist stance.
10. I never really thought to notice! I’m assuming it was Patrick’s? Eek! I don’t know.
11. It was a fairly dreamy sequence of events, eh? I think it really happened though. I think Harris recognized him from when he worked for him, and I believe he was a kind-hearted man, albeit ambitious to a slight fault.
12. Love is blind. Blinding. All-encompassing. If you think you’ve found “the one”, I guess. I think with Patrick, the way he was raised (without a mother), caused him to latch strongly onto the first woman who allowed him to. Regardless, his conviction and dedication was heart-wrenching to read about. But that’s what makes a good story. I’m not sure if Clara ever really loved Patrick, or if she just felt sorry for him. In the same vein, I’m not sure there was any love between Ambrose and Clara, or if it was more of an emperor/concubine kind of relationship. Once Ambrose had finally, truly, passed on, Clara was free to do as she pleased. Her first call was obviously to the man that she knew would do anything for her; she went from being taken care of by one man, directly into the arms of another who would do the same, regardless of their vastly different social statures.
13. Ahhhh… I don’t know. I wish I had the book here with me so I could read it again. I always forget what the preface is about!
GREAT questions Gabby… thanks so much for posting these. I was itching to talk about the book, and when my feeble attempt at gathering with my so-called “club” didn’t work out, I was glad to hear that you were going to keep up with the blog. YAY for books! Windsor’s Bookfest is this weekend, and I hope I can go and listen to David Adams Richards speak. Afua Cooper is also going to be there, Alistair McLeoad, and Helen Humphreys, too. Such big names in little Windsor! I hope I’m not working and I’m able to attend. Ok… thanks again!!!
Looks Awesome Gaby!!!!!
J-A
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