DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PRE-READING QUESTIONS
1. What can you infer about the story from the title The Diviners?
2. Would you like to live in the 1920’s?
3. What does occult mean?
4. What is a speakeasy?
5. What are characteristics of 1920’s city life?
6. What supernatural abilities have you ever dreamed about having?
READER RESPONSE QUESTIONS
1. What similarities do you see in 1920’s youth and today’s youth?
2. Which character do you identify with the most, what are similarities you share?
3. Which character do you identify with the least, how are you different?
4. If this book took place in present day NYC instead of 1920 NYC how would the story be different, and how would it be the same?
5. If you could change the end of the novel how would you? Give a brief summary of what you would change.
6. What do you think is the most important part of the novel, explain why?
7. Based on the end of the novel, what do you predict will happen in the sequel?
8. What section of the story did you find most disturbing or scary?
9. Based on the characters in the novel, which supernatural ability would you most like to have and why?
10. Did you enjoy reading The Diviners, why or why not? Would you encourage others to read it?
INTERPRETIVE COMMUNITY QUESTIONS
1. What makes Evie so different from her Ohio friends, thinking outside of just her supernatural powers?
2. What incidents in Evies life define her the most?
3. Which character would you most like to be friends with and why?
4. Do you think Mabel can think for herself, or is she too influenced by her parents? What aspects of your life do your parents have a lot of influence in?
5. Who are important minor characters in the story, what do they contribute to the main characters?
6. Our main characters all have such different personalities, name a few main characters and what they represent?
7. Based on similar personality traits, which character do you feel you could most open up to?
8. Choose one of your favorite characters and think of an actor or actress that would best suit them, what about their looks and personalities makes this celebrity best fitting?
9. If you had a supernatural ability would you embrace or deny your powers, would you use them for good or evil?
10. The villain in this text is a mix of mystical and religious characteristics, why do you think the Bray utilized both spectrums instead of one or the other?
CRITICAL SYNTHESIS QUESTIONS
Feminism- Evie is often undermined because she is a young man, how does she use this against the people who undermine her?
Postmodernism- There are many influential political and social events that occurred in the 1920’s, describe how our main characters of the novel were way ahead of their times by their actions and outlooks on life?
Humanist- What are traits unique to each of our main characters and how does that affect their lives?
Sociocultural- Describe how Prohibition affected the lives of each of our main characters?
Cognitive- Uncle Will, Evie and Jericho were working together to solve the murder mysteries; describe what each character brought to the table?
Psychoanalytic- How has the death of Evie’s brother affected her life?
Behaviorism- How has life in the city changed Evie? Do her behaviors show improvement or diminished in her journey to adult life?
Freudian- What events in Memphis Campbell’s life do you consider most influential to the development of who he is today? Has it made him stronger or weaker?
1. What can you infer about the story from the title The Diviners?
2. Would you like to live in the 1920’s?
3. What does occult mean?
4. What is a speakeasy?
5. What are characteristics of 1920’s city life?
6. What supernatural abilities have you ever dreamed about having?
READER RESPONSE QUESTIONS
1. What similarities do you see in 1920’s youth and today’s youth?
2. Which character do you identify with the most, what are similarities you share?
3. Which character do you identify with the least, how are you different?
4. If this book took place in present day NYC instead of 1920 NYC how would the story be different, and how would it be the same?
5. If you could change the end of the novel how would you? Give a brief summary of what you would change.
6. What do you think is the most important part of the novel, explain why?
7. Based on the end of the novel, what do you predict will happen in the sequel?
8. What section of the story did you find most disturbing or scary?
9. Based on the characters in the novel, which supernatural ability would you most like to have and why?
10. Did you enjoy reading The Diviners, why or why not? Would you encourage others to read it?
INTERPRETIVE COMMUNITY QUESTIONS
1. What makes Evie so different from her Ohio friends, thinking outside of just her supernatural powers?
2. What incidents in Evies life define her the most?
3. Which character would you most like to be friends with and why?
4. Do you think Mabel can think for herself, or is she too influenced by her parents? What aspects of your life do your parents have a lot of influence in?
5. Who are important minor characters in the story, what do they contribute to the main characters?
6. Our main characters all have such different personalities, name a few main characters and what they represent?
7. Based on similar personality traits, which character do you feel you could most open up to?
8. Choose one of your favorite characters and think of an actor or actress that would best suit them, what about their looks and personalities makes this celebrity best fitting?
9. If you had a supernatural ability would you embrace or deny your powers, would you use them for good or evil?
10. The villain in this text is a mix of mystical and religious characteristics, why do you think the Bray utilized both spectrums instead of one or the other?
CRITICAL SYNTHESIS QUESTIONS
Feminism- Evie is often undermined because she is a young man, how does she use this against the people who undermine her?
Postmodernism- There are many influential political and social events that occurred in the 1920’s, describe how our main characters of the novel were way ahead of their times by their actions and outlooks on life?
Humanist- What are traits unique to each of our main characters and how does that affect their lives?
Sociocultural- Describe how Prohibition affected the lives of each of our main characters?
Cognitive- Uncle Will, Evie and Jericho were working together to solve the murder mysteries; describe what each character brought to the table?
Psychoanalytic- How has the death of Evie’s brother affected her life?
Behaviorism- How has life in the city changed Evie? Do her behaviors show improvement or diminished in her journey to adult life?
Freudian- What events in Memphis Campbell’s life do you consider most influential to the development of who he is today? Has it made him stronger or weaker?
DISCUSSION QUESTION ACTIVITIES
THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Students will be assigned discussion questions or prompts and a partner to work on the THINK-PAIR-SHARE worksheet (found on the HANDOUT page. First they will be given time to individually think about their response to the question or prompt. Once they have come up with their answers the students will work together to share their responses, talk about the similarities and differences in what they found, then decided as a group what they will share with a class. *Template on HANDOUTS page*
SILENT DISCUSSIONS: Students will circle their desks and write two discussion questions on a piece of paper and hand it to the person next to them. Once students receive a new set of discussion questions they will answer one of the two questions then add another to the paper then pass it to the next person. The students will continue to do this until their original sheet is returned to them.
INDEX CARD: In a class discussion lead by the teacher each student will be issued three index cards. When the teacher asks a discussion question or there is a discussion in place and the students respond with a indepth, thoughtful comment they hand the teach an index card. Once they have turned in all three index cards for responses they will receive participation points for the day.
SILENT DISCUSSIONS: Students will circle their desks and write two discussion questions on a piece of paper and hand it to the person next to them. Once students receive a new set of discussion questions they will answer one of the two questions then add another to the paper then pass it to the next person. The students will continue to do this until their original sheet is returned to them.
INDEX CARD: In a class discussion lead by the teacher each student will be issued three index cards. When the teacher asks a discussion question or there is a discussion in place and the students respond with a indepth, thoughtful comment they hand the teach an index card. Once they have turned in all three index cards for responses they will receive participation points for the day.