Essay Questions

Please write an essay in response to any one of the three questions listed below. We are interested in your response. It is not necessary to consult other sources. It should be two double-spaced typed pages - no more, no less. We also ask that you use Times New Roman, font size #12 (or a comparable size if your computer program does not have that specific print type), and have one inch margins. Also, please staple your paper if you have multiple pages.

Please bring the paper and your copy of the The Girls to your discussion of the book with the Fresh Start and Residence Life staff members during Orientation. Your paper will be collected at that time and given to your Inquiry 111 instructor. Late papers will not be accepted.

Question 1

Physical, familial and emotional connection between characters is a central theme of The Girls. However, much of this significant element of the book is actually most powerfully conveyed via profound disconnections between characters; actual and potential separation and loss permeate the work and provide a critical thematic framework supporting characters and plot. For you, what is a significant or intriguing “disconnection” in The Girls? How is this separation between characters related to, and how does it contribute to, the overall themes of the novel? In addition to Ruby and Rose, who are other outsiders or outcasts in this novel, and what do they add to the story, and to your understanding of the novel?

Question 2

Many of the readings that you will consider and discuss in your Inquiry class involve questions of how an individual relates to the larger group or community. Ruby and Rose are interesting because they challenge our conception of individuality. How are Ruby and Rose independent individuals, and in what ways are they a single person? What do you see positive aspects of being conjoined with another individual to be? What would be negative consequences of this situation? What do your thoughts on these questions tell you about the nature of your perspectives on individuality and how people relate to one another?

Question 3

Ruby and Rose are accustomed to being seen as different wherever they go. Yet, when the family travels to Slovakia, they encounter a cultural perspective and attitudes that are unfamiliar. How are their experiences in Slovakia different from, or are similar to, what Ruby and Rose are used to? What does this part of the book indicate to you about cultural differences? How does the trip to Slovakia fit in with themes of The Girls?