Discussion Questions to Explore the Story's Themes
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter 59 departs from the novel's narrative structure entirely. Instead of advancing the story, it presents a set of discussion questions designed for readers, book clubs, and classroom settings. The questions function as a guided reflection on the novel's major characters, themes, and ambiguities.
The chapter opens by asking readers to consider Anna's Two-Spiritedness and to imagine what her life might look like at ages thirty, forty, and sixty. This question invites speculation about Anna's future beyond the novel's ending and asks readers to think about how her identity might shape her life trajectory.
The next set of questions centers on blame and responsibility following Grace's disappearance. Readers are asked whether Anna did anything wrong, whether she let Grace down, and whether Grace—having been warned to stay away from the eighth floor—let Anna down in return. These questions frame the disappearance as a shared tragedy with no easy assignment of fault.
A question about Gran follows, asking how the family's treatment of her might have changed outcomes if they had listened to her more. This question highlights the novel's concern with elder wisdom being ignored.
The questions then turn to Grace's treatment by her peers after the events preceding the homecoming dance. Anna views the gossip and ridicule directed at Grace as unwarranted punishment, and readers are asked to weigh in on whether Grace deserves punishment at all.
Miss Shelby's fate is the subject of the next question. Given the limited details about her disappearance, the state of her old trailer, and how Anna remembers her, readers are invited to speculate about what happened to her.
A question about symbolism asks readers to choose a symbol from the book—Frog, the rifle, the cell phone, the chambermaid uniform, or the eighth floor—and discuss its significance. This question acknowledges the novel's layered use of objects and spaces as carriers of meaning.
The chapter then shifts to a broader social issue: the jurisdictional challenges facing Native Tribes. Readers are asked whether they were aware of these challenges and what changes should be made to address them.
Fox's character is the subject of the next question. Readers are asked to evaluate whether he is a young man who made bad decisions, a predator as reprehensible as Claude LeBlanc, or a victim himself—and whether he deserves sympathy.
The final question addresses the novel's ending, asking whether the rolling head is real or a myth come to life in Anna's imagination, and what evidence leads readers to their conclusion.
Key Events
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The chapter presents nine discussion questions covering the novel's major themes and characters
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Questions address Anna's Two-Spiritedness and her imagined future at ages thirty, forty, and sixty
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Questions explore blame and responsibility for Grace's disappearance
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A question asks how the family's treatment of Gran might have changed outcomes
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Questions examine whether Grace deserves punishment for events before the homecoming dance
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A question invites speculation about Miss Shelby's fate
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A question asks readers to analyze a symbol from the book
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A question addresses jurisdictional challenges facing Native Tribes
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A question asks readers to evaluate Fox's character
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The final question asks whether the rolling head is real or imagined
Character Development
The discussion questions reveal how the author intends readers to understand the novel's characters. Anna is positioned as a character whose Two-Spiritedness is central to her identity, and the question about her future at ages thirty, forty, and sixty suggests that her story continues beyond the novel's final pages. The questions about self-blame frame Anna as a character who internalizes guilt, while the question about whether Grace let Anna down complicates the simple victim narrative.
Gran's role is highlighted through the question about whether the family should have listened to her more. This positions Gran as a character whose wisdom was undervalued, and the question implicitly critiques the family's treatment of her.
Grace is presented as a character who is both a victim and someone who may have made choices that warrant scrutiny. The question about whether she deserves punishment acknowledges her agency while also questioning the cruelty of her peers' treatment.
Fox is the most contested character in the questions. The framing offers three possible readings—bad decisions, predator, or victim—and asks readers to decide. This suggests the novel deliberately leaves Fox's moral status ambiguous.
Miss Shelby's fate is left open to speculation, and the question about her invites readers to fill in the gaps based on limited evidence.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The discussion questions explicitly name several themes and symbols that run through the novel:
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Two-Spiritedness: The first question centers on Anna's Two-Spirited identity, making it a central theme of the novel.
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Self-blame and guilt: The questions about Anna's self-blame and whether either sister let the other down explore the theme of guilt and responsibility.
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Elder wisdom ignored: The question about Gran addresses the theme of elders being overlooked and the consequences of ignoring their knowledge.
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Bullying and gossip: The question about Grace's treatment by her peers addresses the theme of communal cruelty.
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Symbolism: The question about symbols—Frog, the rifle, the cell phone, the chambermaid uniform, the eighth floor—acknowledges the novel's use of objects and spaces as carriers of meaning.
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Tribal jurisdiction: The question about jurisdictional challenges addresses the real-world legal issues facing Native Tribes.
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Predator vs. victim: The question about Fox frames the novel's exploration of how characters can occupy both roles.
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Myth vs. reality: The final question about the rolling head addresses the novel's blending of myth and reality.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 59 matters because it signals the author's intended interpretive framework for the novel. By posing specific questions, the chapter guides readers toward the themes and ambiguities the author considers most important. It also acknowledges the novel's engagement with real-world issues, particularly the jurisdictional challenges facing Native Tribes, and invites readers to consider the broader social context of the story.
The chapter also functions as a bridge between the novel and its readers, transforming the reading experience from passive consumption to active engagement. The questions about Anna's future, Miss Shelby's fate, and the rolling head acknowledge that the novel leaves certain questions open, and they invite readers to participate in constructing meaning.
For readers, this chapter provides a structured way to reflect on the novel's complexities. For educators and book clubs, it offers a ready-made discussion framework.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does the question about Anna's future at ages thirty, forty, and sixty suggest about the novel's treatment of Two-Spiritedness?
The question suggests that Two-Spiritedness is not a phase or a problem to be resolved but an enduring aspect of Anna's identity. By asking readers to imagine Anna at different life stages, the question implies that her Two-Spiritedness will continue to shape her life in meaningful ways. It also suggests that the novel is invested in Anna's long-term well-being and in imagining a future for her beyond the trauma of the story's events.
2. How do the questions about blame and responsibility complicate the novel's treatment of Grace's disappearance?
The questions refuse to assign simple blame. Anna is asked whether she did anything wrong and whether she let Grace down, while Grace is asked whether she let Anna down by ignoring the warning about the eighth floor. This framing suggests that the disappearance is a shared tragedy with multiple contributing factors, and that both sisters bear some responsibility—or that neither does. The questions also implicitly critique the idea that a single person can be blamed for such an event.
3. What does the question about the rolling head reveal about the novel's approach to myth and reality?
The question asks readers to decide whether the rolling head is real or a myth come to life in Anna's imagination, and to explain what led them to their conclusion. This framing acknowledges that the novel deliberately blurs the line between myth and reality, and that the ending is open to interpretation. The question also suggests that the novel's engagement with Indigenous mythology is not decorative but central to its meaning, and that readers are expected to take a position on what is real within the story's world.
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