Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is fate? Consider the stories you have encountered in film or literature that have fate as a central idea or conflict. What plot devices are common with fate-filled stories?

Teaching Suggestion:  After discussing these questions, it might be helpful to tell students that the plot of this novel is pushed forward by occurrences that one character sees as coincidences and another sees as fate. To develop discussion, consider addressing similar concepts, such as destiny, free will, or luck, and have students compare and contrast their definitions. The resource below may help provide background knowledge for students who are unfamiliar with the Fates in Greek mythology, which are referenced in the novel.

• This article from The Collector provides a short summary of the Fates as understood in Greek mythology.

2. What is your understanding of “The American Dream”? Is it something everyone can achieve? If not, who has access to the American Dream and why?

Teaching Suggestion: It might be helpful to provide a definition of the American Dream after students have had a chance to define it in their own terms before discussing the additional questions.