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 4: Julia's parents' stained marriage
4. Julia’s parents’ marriage becomes increasingly strained over the course of the book. Why do you think
they stay together? Do you think it’s the right choice? How much do you think Julia’s mother does or
does not know about Sylvia?
With the slowing of the Earth, more stress is put on every relationship with anyone that existed before the slowing. Stress is rising in most people because the end of the world may come sooner than anyone thought. Julia's parents also have this increased stress in their everyday lives. Their marriage is critical to Julia's future. This is true because if they divorce, she will have to split between two different homes and will never have a place she can feel secure. She will be put into awkward situations where she has to chose between her mother or her father. The reason I think Julia's parents stay together, is because they want Julia to try and have the most normal life with the slowing happening. I think it is the right choice that they continued their marriage. That way their parents had someone to rely on rather than just themselves. For a while, Julia's father could no longer count on his wife for comfort because of her sickness, so he turned to Sylvia. I think that Julia's mother knew about her husband and Sylvia through the whole relationship. She never confronted Julia about it because I think that she did want he daughter to know that her dad abandoned their family. She also did not bring it up to Julia's father because i feel that she was waiting for him to confess to her that he has been at Sylvia's. I think that the relationship between Julia's father and Sylvia has been going on for some time before the slowing. This is why Julia's mother never liked Sylvia. I do feel though that Julia's parents made the right decision of keeping their marriage together.
Joel and Helen have a complicated relationship. We do not get to see how they interacted years prior to the slowing, but even in the few days leading up to the slowing we see that Julia’s parents have a strained relationship. On pages eight and nine Helen tries to explain the importance of the news of the slowing to Julia and Joel. They ignore Helen. Throughout this scene I kept wondering why Joel was not doing anything. I could not divulge a reason until I read Tyler’s post. Tyler said, “I think that the relationship between Julia's father and Sylvia has been going on for some time before the slowing.” Not only does this theory explain Joel’s actions in the scene where the slowing is first announced, but, as Tyler points out, it also explains Helen’s dislike of Sylvia even before the slowing. Tyler’s post showcased to me a different aspect of Joel and Helen’s relationship.
I agree with Tyler when he talks about how the slowing puts added stress onto everyone’s shoulders. It is sometimes hard to adjust to change when huge catastrophes happen, and in this case, everyone is a little unsure of how to respond. I agree with Tyler when he gives the reason for her parent’s keeping their marriage intact, saying it was because they wanted Julia to have a normal life. It is difficult enough for your parents to have a divorce, but with all the extra stress the slowing caused, it might have been the breaking point for Julia. She had lost all her friends, Seth, and her grandfather. If her parents had divorced, I don’t think she would have been able to deal with the drama that causes. I also agree that Julia’s parent’s made the right decision in staying together at the end of the book.
Tyler says that he believes their affair had been going on before the slowing, but I do not think this is the case. Before the slowing, Julia’s parents had a fairly normal and happy marriage; they only argued occasionally and there were not many problems in their lives. I believe that everything that happened with the slowing drove Julia’s father to Sylvia. Studies were made in the book that showed that during long stretches of daylight, people were more likely to make impulsive decisions and temptation may be harder to resist, which is what Julia believed caused her father to have an affair. Tyler mentions that “Julia’s father could no longer count on his wife for comfort because of her sickness.” Her sickness is another component the slowing caused that drove Julia’s dad to Sylvia. I think the reason that Julia’s mother never liked Sylvia before the slowing was because she was jealous of her. Early in the book, Julia’s mother makes a comment about how Sylvia was too skinny, when she herself had been trying to lose weight for years. However, I do think that Julia’s mother had a pretty good idea that her husband was cheating on her, but she chose to act indifferent because she did not want to lose him.
I think Tyler provides an interesting theory about the father’s and Sylvia’s relationship having started before the slowing. While I myself may see this as a good theory, I actually believe hat Joel and Sylvia merely were attracted to each other before the start of the book. This may have led to the Helen’s dislike of her by just noticing this with the two. The desperation and pessimism of his wife may have triggered the affair to begin. However it may be possible it already was happening and the father did not want Julia to stop taking lessons from Sylvia, even though she was a real-timer.
Julia’s parents marriage gains a lot of struggle throughout the book. I believe they stay together to keep a sense of normality and strength throughout the emotional, physical, and mental effects of the slowing. It provides the family with the fact that they are still a family, along with the support and hope that the family needs, therefore I believe it is a right choice. I also feel that Julia’s mother knew about Sylvia and her husband. However she needs to put on a brave face and keep herself together for her daughter throughout the slowing.
Julia’s father tells many major lies in the book.One is the going on love affair he had with the family’s neighbor, and Julia’s piano teacher, Sylvia during the slowing. That was his major lie, but he also had many little lies throughout the book, like when a lady died at the hospital and Julia’s father told his wife she did not. I feel like none of these lies are justified. Also, lying isn't generally the right thing to do. One of my favorites quotes is “There will always be a reason to lie, but this will always be a better reason to tell the truth”.
With the slowing of the Earth, more stress is put on every relationship with anyone that existed before the slowing. Stress is rising in most people because the end of the world may come sooner than anyone thought. Julia's parents also have this increased stress in their everyday lives. Their marriage is critical to Julia's future. This is true because if they divorce, she will have to split between two different homes and will never have a place she can feel secure. She will be put into awkward situations where she has to chose between her mother or her father. The reason I think Julia's parents stay together, is because they want Julia to try and have the most normal life with the slowing happening. I think it is the right choice that they continued their marriage. That way their parents had someone to rely on rather than just themselves. For a while, Julia's father could no longer count on his wife for comfort because of her sickness, so he turned to Sylvia. I think that Julia's mother knew about her husband and Sylvia through the whole relationship. She never confronted Julia about it because I think that she did want he daughter to know that her dad abandoned their family. She also did not bring it up to Julia's father because i feel that she was waiting for him to confess to her that he has been at Sylvia's. I think that the relationship between Julia's father and Sylvia has been going on for some time before the slowing. This is why
ReplyDeleteJulia's mother never liked Sylvia. I do feel though that Julia's parents made the right decision of keeping their marriage together.
Joel and Helen have a complicated relationship. We do not get to see how they interacted years prior to the slowing, but even in the few days leading up to the slowing we see that Julia’s parents have a strained relationship. On pages eight and nine Helen tries to explain the importance of the news of the slowing to Julia and Joel. They ignore Helen. Throughout this scene I kept wondering why Joel was not doing anything. I could not divulge a reason until I read Tyler’s post. Tyler said, “I think that the relationship between Julia's father and Sylvia has been going on for some time before the slowing.” Not only does this theory explain Joel’s actions in the scene where the slowing is first announced, but, as Tyler points out, it also explains Helen’s dislike of Sylvia even before the slowing. Tyler’s post showcased to me a different aspect of Joel and Helen’s relationship.
DeleteI agree with Tyler when he talks about how the slowing puts added stress onto everyone’s shoulders. It is sometimes hard to adjust to change when huge catastrophes happen, and in this case, everyone is a little unsure of how to respond. I agree with Tyler when he gives the reason for her parent’s keeping their marriage intact, saying it was because they wanted Julia to have a normal life. It is difficult enough for your parents to have a divorce, but with all the extra stress the slowing caused, it might have been the breaking point for Julia. She had lost all her friends, Seth, and her grandfather. If her parents had divorced, I don’t think she would have been able to deal with the drama that causes. I also agree that Julia’s parent’s made the right decision in staying together at the end of the book.
DeleteTyler says that he believes their affair had been going on before the slowing, but I do not think this is the case. Before the slowing, Julia’s parents had a fairly normal and happy marriage; they only argued occasionally and there were not many problems in their lives. I believe that everything that happened with the slowing drove Julia’s father to Sylvia. Studies were made in the book that showed that during long stretches of daylight, people were more likely to make impulsive decisions and temptation may be harder to resist, which is what Julia believed caused her father to have an affair. Tyler mentions that “Julia’s father could no longer count on his wife for comfort because of her sickness.” Her sickness is another component the slowing caused that drove Julia’s dad to Sylvia. I think the reason that Julia’s mother never liked Sylvia before the slowing was because she was jealous of her. Early in the book, Julia’s mother makes a comment about how Sylvia was too skinny, when she herself had been trying to lose weight for years. However, I do think that Julia’s mother had a pretty good idea that her husband was cheating on her, but she chose to act indifferent because she did not want to lose him.
I think Tyler provides an interesting theory about the father’s and Sylvia’s relationship having started before the slowing. While I myself may see this as a good theory, I actually believe hat Joel and Sylvia merely were attracted to each other before the start of the book. This may have led to the Helen’s dislike of her by just noticing this with the two. The desperation and pessimism of his wife may have triggered the affair to begin. However it may be possible it already was happening and the father did not want Julia to stop taking lessons from Sylvia, even though she was a real-timer.
DeleteJulia’s parents marriage gains a lot of struggle throughout the book. I believe they stay together to keep a sense of normality and strength throughout the emotional, physical, and mental effects of the slowing. It provides the family with the fact that they are still a family, along with the support and hope that the family needs, therefore I believe it is a right choice. I also feel that Julia’s mother knew about Sylvia and her husband. However she needs to put on a brave face and keep herself together for her daughter throughout the slowing.
ReplyDeleteJulia’s father tells many major lies in the book.One is the going on love affair he had with the family’s neighbor, and Julia’s piano teacher, Sylvia during the slowing. That was his major lie, but he also had many little lies throughout the book, like when a lady died at the hospital and Julia’s father told his wife she did not. I feel like none of these lies are justified. Also, lying isn't generally the right thing to do. One of my favorites quotes is “There will always be a reason to lie, but this will always be a better reason to tell the truth”.
ReplyDelete