A Title's Suggestion...

Whose “hands” are implied by the book’s title, Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands?  Support your response with 2 specific examples!

Consider the Setting...

Do you attach any significance to McCarthy’s choosing Mayflower, Florida as the setting for this novel?  Explain; give 2 specific examples or details (with page references) from the novel to support your interpretation.

A Dynamic Faith?

Religion figures prominently in Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands, ranging from Marvin’s lessons in Bible study to the horrific Klan bombings of Catholic and Jewish citizens.  How do these many experiences shape Reesa’s understanding of God?  How does her faith change throughout the novel?  (Share an example and give details to show that this instance reflects a change in Reesa’s behavior or beliefs.  Please include page references!).

A Woman's Perspective

 Two background characters, Maybelle Mason and Lucy Garnet, add an interesting perspective to the role of women in Mayflower.  In what way does each woman's tragedy affect your understanding of this town?  Please choose either character and use specific examples and chapter references to validate your responses!

The All-American Sport

Discuss the author's many references to baseball by sharing specific examples from the novel.  How does this game enhance the novel's plot and tone?  Please include page references!

The Impact of Role Models

Do Reesa's role models -- her mother and father, Doto, Luther, and Armetta -- provide her with contradictory or consistent messages about human nature?  For your response, use specific details (page references would be great!) to illustrate comparisons and / or contrasts between any two characters of your choice. Please provide two examples:  2 comparisons, 2 contrasts, or one of each. 

A Perfect Narrator?

Now that many of you have completed the novel, reflect on the book’s narrator, Reesa McMahon.  What characteristics does this young narrator add to a story as intense as the events in Mayflower, Florida?  List, give an example, and explain two character / personality traits she demonstrates that make her a particularly appropriate guide for us.