Welcome FHS students! Please check your FHS gmail! We'll use this blog to talk about our summer readings. Sign into Google with your Fairview Schools login. Speak, Never Fall Down, and The Age of Miracles discussion questions are all on this page. Scroll down to find each novel's questions. Then, click on Comment link following the questions you wish to answer. Click on the page links on the left to access additional information.
Discussion Questions for All Novels
Saturday, June 15, 2013
The Age of Miracles 2: An only child
2. Julia is an only child. How does this fact affect who she is and how she sees the world? How would her
experience of the slowing be different if she had a sibling? How would her experience of middle school
be different?
Throughout much of the story, Julia had to face her problems by herself. Not only was she under the stress of the slowing, but she also had to face more common problems with her parents, her friends, and her emotions. She was often lonely and felt like she had no one to confide in. On page 189, Julia says “Maybe loneliness was imprinted in my genes, lying dormant for years, but now coming into full bloom.” If Julia had had siblings, she would most likely have felt less lonely. When her parents were fighting, she could have depended on her siblings to know what she was going through. When Hannah quit being her friend, she could have relied on her siblings for company. Had she an older sister, she could have asked questions about becoming a woman. Interacting with siblings while growing up might also have enhanced her social skills so that she could make friends more easily. Julia’s experience of the slowing might have been altered by the presence of a sister or brother to sympathize with. If she had had siblings, then there would’ve been more people to comfort her when she was worried about what was happening to the world around her. Julia doesn’t feel that she can rely on her parents, but siblings tend to be more understanding. If her family did not consist only of Julia and her parents, they might have had a stronger family bond. Instead, Julia feels alone and uncertain. I believe that the presence of siblings might have transformed the whole experience for the better.
I completely agree with everything Bryce said. Julia would have been a lot less lonely if she had a sibling. Like Bryce said it is sometimes harder to talk to your parents about some things and easier to talk to a sibling about them. When she had a crush on Seth she wasn’t comfortable with talking to her mom about it, but she might have been more open with a sibling. Bryce mentioned the fact that when Julia’s parents were fighting she didn’t have that sibling that would be there to comfort her and make her feel better. She had to go through that all by herself which made it really hard to do. Another good point Bryce made was when she lost her best friend, Hanna, she didn’t really have any other friends to go to. If she had a sibling they would always be there as a friend. Even at the bus stop when Julia got harassed if she had a sibling they might have stood up for her. I like the point Bryce made about how siblings tend to be more understanding. It can be hard as parents to relate to your children. They didn’t understand the emotions that Julia had during the slowing where a sibling would be more likely to understand her.
I also agree with what Bryce is saying. I can imagine that being a only child would put someone in a harder place when it comes to stress, and Julia represents this in the book perfectly. I also feel it is true when Bryce says that if she had a sibling, she would have easier time accepting not only the slowing but everything before, her parents fighting, school, and other typical stresses teenagers have. Also the idea that Julia could better rely on a sibling closer to her age than her parents that Bryce mentions I feel is completely understandable. This is why, when Hannah stopped communicating with Julia, Julia felt lost.
The fact that Julia is an only child greatly affects the way she perceives and reacts to the world around her. The most notable effect of Julia being an only child is her awkwardness and inability to express her self in social situations in which other children in her school are present. When her classmates have birthday parties, she is very rarely invited. When the lunch bell rings, she wanders off to the library instead of the cafeteria. Her description of the bus stop is far from endearing; she states that “the bus stop was the hard ground where our school days always began, where insults were slung and secrets spilled or spread.” Perhaps the experience of living with a sibling at home would have better prepared Julia for these kind of common adolescent interactions. At many instances in the book, Julia reflects on how isolated she is from her classmates. One of her most apparent assertions of her own isolation from her peers is when she states that “from where I stood lately, at the far edge of the crowd, the sounds (of her classmate’s chatter) seemed as meaningless as if all those tongues were speaking different tongues, a great, incomprehensible clatter.” To me, it seems as if Julia’s isolation at school is a direct result of her isolation at home. It is obvious that Julia’s middle school experience would be a lot different if she had a brother or sister at home. However, it is also true that Julia’s experience of the slowing is greatly affected by the fact that she is an only child. After she fell out of touch with Hanna and before she became good friends with Seth, Julia had virtually no one to converse with about the slowing. Julia’s mother seemed to be in an almost constant state of illness and anxiety; having a conversation with her about the slowing wouldn’t have been a very calming or reassuring experience. Julia’s father, who would seem like a good person to have a mature conservation with, was away from the house so much that Julia hardly ever saw him. Unfortunately, because of her mother’s illness, the falling out of her friendship with Hanna, and the fact that her father was always away from home, Julia had no one to talk to about the slowing, and was thus forced to cope with the global calamity around her by herself. This lack of a close connection with another person, at a time when she needed it most, caused her to keep many of her thoughts and feelings internalized, which in turn made her feel more and more alone. It was once said that “loneliness doesn’t come from having no one around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that are important to you.” I think that that particular quote embodies Julia’s predicament perfectly. Until she develops an intimate relationship with Seth later in the novel, Julia is living on her own metaphorical island, an island that might cease to exist if only Julia had a brother or sister at home.
Ben provides a very interesting point. Throughout the novel, Julia’s main issue is that she doesn’t know what’s popular, or that she isn’t invited to a party. All of these anxieties come from the fact that she fears isolation. Whenever we feel separate from society, we have the impression that we’re freaks, like we don’t belong. Julia couldn’t find anyone to relate to at the first half of the book, so it never felt as if she could become a part of society. If she had a sibling, she would have worried much less about isolation because she would have someone to confide her worries to. After she befriends Seth, all of these isolation anxieties go away.
Julia, as an only child, has all of the attention from her parents. She does not know as well as others what it’s like to be neglected. This can transfer into her social life in that she may not deal with being ignored as well as children with siblings. She may feel that the world revolves around her, as an extreme. While she does not seem to carry these symptoms, she may deal with different situations in different ways than most.
If a sibling accompanied her in the slowing, she would have a constant friend. While her makeshift sister Hanna left and came back with a different friend, leaving Julia alone, a sibling would more or less be stuck with her. As a part of a family they would stay together. With a constant person to talk to, Julia may deal with the catastrophes happening around her better. Having a person to talk to makes every experience easier, and parents aren’t always easy to talk to. This same advantage would apply in a normal middle school setting, depending on the age of the sibling. A toddler wouldnt be much help, as they cannot understand your problems. A slightly older/younger sibling would be best because while they are not the same age as you, they can relate to some of your issues. A friendly sibling can really help when it comes to getting through tough times- being an only child only makes Julia’s apocalypse experience worse.
Being an only child influenced Julia in many ways. Her situation took part in molding her core self, but I do not think it changed how she sees the world. With a sibling, her life during the slowing would have been very different. Many of Julia’s actions and feelings are influenced by her being an only child. I think having no siblings made Julia introverted. Julia is an introvert because throughout The Age of Miracles she keeps to herself. Most of her truly personal thoughts are only told to us, the reader. Even when Julia does connect with someone it is only one person like Seth. I think being an only child made Julia used to keeping to herself rather than having true friendships with lots of other people. As for seeing the world differently due to being an only child: I do not think Julia’s views were swayed because of it. I think that not just Julia’s but everybody’s view of the world is based on the experiences they have interacting with it. Having siblings would not have changed the actual events of her life themselves. She would have had someone to talk to if she had siblings, but I do not think her view of the world would be different either way. Throughout the slowing Julia being an only child causes her one main feeling: loneliness. At the beginning of the slowing Julia loses her best friend, Hanna. Julia exclaims her loss, “Every time the phone rang in our house, I hoped it would be Hanna.” (Walker 70). Julia also experiences her parents fighting. Throughout all of this conflict she has no one to support her or talk to her because she is losing the very people she relies on. Julia’s loneliness makes middle school experience rough as well because she has no one to stand up for her. With a sibling she would have had someone as a companion no matter what hardships she had to endure. Having no siblings is not a bad thing, but during the slowing it influenced Julia greatly. Julia was molded to be more introverted because of her situation, but it did not affect her view of the world. She felt lonely throughout much of the book because she had no siblings to stand by her side. In The Age of Miracles much of Julia’s character was based on the fact that she is an only child.
I found Eric’s thought on Julia’s introversion as a direct result from her lack of siblings very interesting. Originally while reading the book, I assumed Julia was introverted just simply because that was who she was. I now can see, however, how the lack of siblings can cause this introversion. When I think about it, this perspective is supported by the book itself. The two main introverts in the book, Julia and Seth, both did not have siblings. This may have been because they did not have siblings to interact with before starting school so had trouble doing so with others when they entered school, or it may have been because they learned how to be content by themselves at home so were also content by themselves at school. Either way, it looks like both Julia’s and Seth’s introversion could have been caused by them being only children. On the other hand, I could see how being an only child could force one to become extroverted. Though the book does not show this, an only child could strive for many friendships because they do not have these relationships at home. I disagree with Eric when he says Julia’s view of the world wouldn’t be different if she had siblings. I believe Julia’s view of the world is that life keeps moving on, regardless of what happens. It goes on when she is going through adolescence, it goes on when her father has an affair, and it even goes on when her friendships fail and her love life gets destroyed. Though her view has some truth behind it, Julia seems to hold this view in a pessimistic way. She seems to think that nobody cares about her, and she just has to tough it out. If Julia had siblings, she would have people that would always be there to care for her. Yes, she has her parents, but parents can seem distant, especially parents that aren’t close to each other as Julia’s are. Siblings can become much closer to one another, and they could show Julia that people do care about her. The whole world may not stop to help her, but at least a small part of it can. I believe that if Julia had siblings, her view of the world would have been changed dramatically.
The main character in Age of Miracles, Julia, is an only child. I believe this has an effect on how she views the world. Since Julia does not have any siblings her communication skills are very weak, which is not t a bad thing in her case. Julia chooses to be more of a wallflower, meaning she likes to observe the world and all its people and setting, which causes a bigger effect to her when it all starts to change. If she had a sibling she would probably have more of a reaction to the slowing because she would know how to react to it socially with other people rather than the way she reacted; in her head. In the same way as her experience would be different if she had siblings, she would be more sociable than she is now, because of the lack of be faced with social situation growing up as an only child.
The main character in Age of Miracles, Julia, is an only child. I believe this has an effect on how she views the world. Since Julia does not have any siblings her communication skills are very weak, which isnt a bad thing in her case. Julia chooses to be more of a wallflower, meaning she likes to observe the world and all its people and setting, which causes a bigger effect to her when it all starts to change. If she had a sibling she would probably have more of a reaction to the slowing because she would know how to react to it socially with other people rather than the way she reacted; in her head. In the same way as her experience would be different if she had siblings, she would be more sociable than she is now, because of the lack of be faced with social situation growing up as an only child.
Bryce Yahn
ReplyDeleteThroughout much of the story, Julia had to face her problems by herself. Not only was she under the stress of the slowing, but she also had to face more common problems with her parents, her friends, and her emotions. She was often lonely and felt like she had no one to confide in. On page 189, Julia says “Maybe loneliness was imprinted in my genes, lying dormant for years, but now coming into full bloom.” If Julia had had siblings, she would most likely have felt less lonely.
When her parents were fighting, she could have depended on her siblings to know what she was going through. When Hannah quit being her friend, she could have relied on her siblings for company. Had she an older sister, she could have asked questions about becoming a woman. Interacting with siblings while growing up might also have enhanced her social skills so that she could make friends more easily.
Julia’s experience of the slowing might have been altered by the presence of a sister or brother to sympathize with. If she had had siblings, then there would’ve been more people to comfort her when she was worried about what was happening to the world around her. Julia doesn’t feel that she can rely on her parents, but siblings tend to be more understanding. If her family did not consist only of Julia and her parents, they might have had a stronger family bond. Instead, Julia feels alone and uncertain. I believe that the presence of siblings might have transformed the whole experience for the better.
I completely agree with everything Bryce said. Julia would have been a lot less lonely if she had a sibling. Like Bryce said it is sometimes harder to talk to your parents about some things and easier to talk to a sibling about them. When she had a crush on Seth she wasn’t comfortable with talking to her mom about it, but she might have been more open with a sibling. Bryce mentioned the fact that when Julia’s parents were fighting she didn’t have that sibling that would be there to comfort her and make her feel better. She had to go through that all by herself which made it really hard to do.
DeleteAnother good point Bryce made was when she lost her best friend, Hanna, she didn’t really have any other friends to go to. If she had a sibling they would always be there as a friend. Even at the bus stop when Julia got harassed if she had a sibling they might have stood up for her. I like the point Bryce made about how siblings tend to be more understanding. It can be hard as parents to relate to your children. They didn’t understand the emotions that Julia had during the slowing where a sibling would be more likely to understand her.
I also agree with what Bryce is saying. I can imagine that being a only child would put someone in a harder place when it comes to stress, and Julia represents this in the book perfectly. I also feel it is true when Bryce says that if she had a sibling, she would have easier time accepting not only the slowing but everything before, her parents fighting, school, and other typical stresses teenagers have. Also the idea that Julia could better rely on a sibling closer to her age than her parents that Bryce mentions I feel is completely understandable. This is why, when Hannah stopped communicating with Julia, Julia felt lost.
DeleteThe fact that Julia is an only child greatly affects the way she perceives and reacts to the world around her. The most notable effect of Julia being an only child is her awkwardness and inability to express her self in social situations in which other children in her school are present. When her classmates have birthday parties, she is very rarely invited. When the lunch bell rings, she wanders off to the library instead of the cafeteria. Her description of the bus stop is far from endearing; she states that “the bus stop was the hard ground where our school days always began, where insults were slung and secrets spilled or spread.” Perhaps the experience of living with a sibling at home would have better prepared Julia for these kind of common adolescent interactions.
ReplyDeleteAt many instances in the book, Julia reflects on how isolated she is from her classmates. One of her most apparent assertions of her own isolation from her peers is when she states that “from where I stood lately, at the far edge of the crowd, the sounds (of her classmate’s chatter) seemed as meaningless as if all those tongues were speaking different tongues, a great, incomprehensible clatter.” To me, it seems as if Julia’s isolation at school is a direct result of her isolation at home.
It is obvious that Julia’s middle school experience would be a lot different if she had a brother or sister at home. However, it is also true that Julia’s experience of the slowing is greatly affected by the fact that she is an only child. After she fell out of touch with Hanna and before she became good friends with Seth, Julia had virtually no one to converse with about the slowing. Julia’s mother seemed to be in an almost constant state of illness and anxiety; having a conversation with her about the slowing wouldn’t have been a very calming or reassuring experience. Julia’s father, who would seem like a good person to have a mature conservation with, was away from the house so much that Julia hardly ever saw him.
Unfortunately, because of her mother’s illness, the falling out of her friendship with Hanna, and the fact that her father was always away from home, Julia had no one to talk to about the slowing, and was thus forced to cope with the global calamity around her by herself. This lack of a close connection with another person, at a time when she needed it most, caused her to keep many of her thoughts and feelings internalized, which in turn made her feel more and more alone. It was once said that “loneliness doesn’t come from having no one around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that are important to you.” I think that that particular quote embodies Julia’s predicament perfectly. Until she develops an intimate relationship with Seth later in the novel, Julia is living on her own metaphorical island, an island that might cease to exist if only Julia had a brother or sister at home.
Ben provides a very interesting point. Throughout the novel, Julia’s main issue is that she doesn’t know what’s popular, or that she isn’t invited to a party. All of these anxieties come from the fact that she fears isolation. Whenever we feel separate from society, we have the impression that we’re freaks, like we don’t belong. Julia couldn’t find anyone to relate to at the first half of the book, so it never felt as if she could become a part of society. If she had a sibling, she would have worried much less about isolation because she would have someone to confide her worries to. After she befriends Seth, all of these isolation anxieties go away.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJulia, as an only child, has all of the attention from her parents. She does not know as well as others what it’s like to be neglected. This can transfer into her social life in that she may not deal with being ignored as well as children with siblings. She may feel that the world revolves around her, as an extreme. While she does not seem to carry these symptoms, she may deal with different situations in different ways than most.
ReplyDeleteIf a sibling accompanied her in the slowing, she would have a constant friend. While her makeshift sister Hanna left and came back with a different friend, leaving Julia alone, a sibling would more or less be stuck with her. As a part of a family they would stay together. With a constant person to talk to, Julia may deal with the catastrophes happening around her better. Having a person to talk to makes every experience easier, and parents aren’t always easy to talk to. This same advantage would apply in a normal middle school setting, depending on the age of the sibling. A toddler wouldnt be much help, as they cannot understand your problems. A slightly older/younger sibling would be best because while they are not the same age as you, they can relate to some of your issues. A friendly sibling can really help when it comes to getting through tough times- being an only child only makes Julia’s apocalypse experience worse.
Being an only child influenced Julia in many ways. Her situation took part in molding her core self, but I do not think it changed how she sees the world. With a sibling, her life during the slowing would have been very different. Many of Julia’s actions and feelings are influenced by her being an only child.
ReplyDeleteI think having no siblings made Julia introverted. Julia is an introvert because throughout The Age of Miracles she keeps to herself. Most of her truly personal thoughts are only told to us, the reader. Even when Julia does connect with someone it is only one person like Seth. I think being an only child made Julia used to keeping to herself rather than having true friendships with lots of other people.
As for seeing the world differently due to being an only child: I do not think Julia’s views were swayed because of it. I think that not just Julia’s but everybody’s view of the world is based on the experiences they have interacting with it. Having siblings would not have changed the actual events of her life themselves. She would have had someone to talk to if she had siblings, but I do not think her view of the world would be different either way.
Throughout the slowing Julia being an only child causes her one main feeling: loneliness. At the beginning of the slowing Julia loses her best friend, Hanna. Julia exclaims her loss, “Every time the phone rang in our house, I hoped it would be Hanna.” (Walker 70). Julia also experiences her parents fighting. Throughout all of this conflict she has no one to support her or talk to her because she is losing the very people she relies on. Julia’s loneliness makes middle school experience rough as well because she has no one to stand up for her. With a sibling she would have had someone as a companion no matter what hardships she had to endure.
Having no siblings is not a bad thing, but during the slowing it influenced Julia greatly. Julia was molded to be more introverted because of her situation, but it did not affect her view of the world. She felt lonely throughout much of the book because she had no siblings to stand by her side. In The Age of Miracles much of Julia’s character was based on the fact that she is an only child.
I found Eric’s thought on Julia’s introversion as a direct result from her lack of siblings very interesting. Originally while reading the book, I assumed Julia was introverted just simply because that was who she was. I now can see, however, how the lack of siblings can cause this introversion. When I think about it, this perspective is supported by the book itself. The two main introverts in the book, Julia and Seth, both did not have siblings. This may have been because they did not have siblings to interact with before starting school so had trouble doing so with others when they entered school, or it may have been because they learned how to be content by themselves at home so were also content by themselves at school. Either way, it looks like both Julia’s and Seth’s introversion could have been caused by them being only children. On the other hand, I could see how being an only child could force one to become extroverted. Though the book does not show this, an only child could strive for many friendships because they do not have these relationships at home.
DeleteI disagree with Eric when he says Julia’s view of the world wouldn’t be different if she had siblings. I believe Julia’s view of the world is that life keeps moving on, regardless of what happens. It goes on when she is going through adolescence, it goes on when her father has an affair, and it even goes on when her friendships fail and her love life gets destroyed. Though her view has some truth behind it, Julia seems to hold this view in a pessimistic way. She seems to think that nobody cares about her, and she just has to tough it out. If Julia had siblings, she would have people that would always be there to care for her. Yes, she has her parents, but parents can seem distant, especially parents that aren’t close to each other as Julia’s are. Siblings can become much closer to one another, and they could show Julia that people do care about her. The whole world may not stop to help her, but at least a small part of it can. I believe that if Julia had siblings, her view of the world would have been changed dramatically.
The main character in Age of Miracles, Julia, is an only child. I believe this has an effect on how she views the world. Since Julia does not have any siblings her communication skills are very weak, which is not t a bad thing in her case. Julia chooses to be more of a wallflower, meaning she likes to observe the world and all its people and setting, which causes a bigger effect to her when it all starts to change. If she had a sibling she would probably have more of a reaction to the slowing because she would know how to react to it socially with other people rather than the way she reacted; in her head. In the same way as her experience would be different if she had siblings, she would be more sociable than she is now, because of the lack of be faced with social situation growing up as an only child.
ReplyDeleteThe main character in Age of Miracles, Julia, is an only child. I believe this has an effect on how she views the world. Since Julia does not have any siblings her communication skills are very weak, which isnt a bad thing in her case. Julia chooses to be more of a wallflower, meaning she likes to observe the world and all its people and setting, which causes a bigger effect to her when it all starts to change. If she had a sibling she would probably have more of a reaction to the slowing because she would know how to react to it socially with other people rather than the way she reacted; in her head. In the same way as her experience would be different if she had siblings, she would be more sociable than she is now, because of the lack of be faced with social situation growing up as an only child.
ReplyDelete