Get ready for a great book group meeting! We are now reading:
RED: the color of blood, the color of murder, the color of sin...Hannah Payne wakes up in a cell after being injected with a virus that has turned her skin completely red -- her crime: she aborted her illegitimate pregnancy in a new American society where that is illegal. She will not name the father of her unborn child, a famous married minister, nor the abortionist, and is charged and convicted of murder. What happens to Hannah when she is released from the temporary post-chroming seclusion and is thrust back into a society where she is stigmatized and humiliated by everyone who sees her as a Red? Prevented from returning to her home by parents who will not allow her to live with them, Hannah must navigate a scary road to regain her dignity and make a new life for herself in a world where there is no longer separation between church and state -- and no protection for the Chromes.
I suggest that you obtain and read this book if you like dystopian, futuristic novels about family, religious controversies, crime and punishment, relationships, and self-discovery. The author weaves a very interesting tale -- yes it does have themes similar to those found in some of the classic literature, but it brings all of those together in a new and very thought-provoking way. This would be a fantastic book for a book group discussion.
I will be recommending this!
Discussion Questions - please post your answers in comment section
1. Is this futuristic imagining of the direction of reality television believable?
2. What elements within this futuristic society have lead to the acceptability of the cruel treatment of those who've committed crimes?
3. Was Hannah's decision not to reveal the identity of either her baby's father or the abortionist justified? What does this say about her character?
4. How do you feel about the baby's father and his decisions regarding not coming forward?
5. Discuss how the concept of religion is portrayed through the major characters: Hannah, her mother, her father, her sister Becca, the Henleys, Aidan and Cole.
6. Does Hannah change within the course of the novel? How?
7. What are your thoughts on Hannah's friend Kayla? In what ways is she different from Hannah?
8. How would you describe the halfway house run by the Henleys? Did it serve its intended purpose?
9. What aspects of Hannah and Kayla's flight struck you most? What experiences stood out for you?
10. Was the ending believable?
(Questions issued by publisher.)
Ms C.
Review originally published Sunday, August 19, 2012
43 comments:
I'm looking forward to reading this. So far I really enjoy The Scarlet Letter, and I'm expecting this book to be good as well.
This books looks interesting.
Nice book
This review is very concise and makes me want to read this my self
Nice book
Just last year I read The Scarlett Letter for AP English, and though the book itself didn't not appeal to me very much while reading it, the more our class talked about it, the more I liked it, if that makes sense. Perhaps this modern day version will speak to me a little better? It might just be because present day dialogue conveys the topic in an easier way than other ways. I would like to see how this compares to the original book; how it is different and alike. Hope I can find time to read this this year.
Book club members -- please leave any answers to the discussion questions here (in separate comments) or include questions of your own. I've invited the author to visit the page and will let her know when it is active!
For the question as to whether Hannah' actions were justified when not revealing the abortionist and the father or not, I think it was. I don't think she was doing it to cause trouble, I think it was purely out of the fact that she was trying to keep people she loved out of danger and facing the same awful treatment that she was given. I obviously think the father should've stepped forward and not let Hannah go through this by herself. She didn't get herself pregnant, so they both should have to take respnsibility for it. I think if the father would've really loved her, he would step forward and admit his wrongs. I also think she didn't reveal the father because she was waiting for him to make the move. She knew if he really cared and if he really wanted to be part of her life, the lies would have to stop. The truth would have to be revealed at some point.
Again, concerning the father and his decision to not step forward when things were getting bad I think it was wrong. But in all honesty, how many of us can say we'd all happily step forward and except our whole lives being changed in a split second? I'm not trying to defend his actions, he should have come forward and helped her with it. I think it had to have been a slap in the face finding out you had a kid after it was aborted. It has to be pretty hard for Hannah dealing with all this by herself. I think out of respect for her, he needed to step forward. That was his child and he knew what could happen. It wasn't right of him to let her deal with it alone.
I think Hannah really did change throuhgout the book. At first, she was so upset about what other people were thinking of her and what her family thought of her. I think as she continued to develope throughout the book, she stopped worrying so much about what certain people thought of her. I think she still worried about her sister and father because she knew they really did love her. We'll always be worried about what people we love think about us. But I think she finally stopped worrying about what people who didn't matter thought. She still knew her past actions were not okay but she continued to start developing a new life for herself and growing instead of reflecting on things she could not change.
What I found to be most compelling is the idea of having to wear the color of your crime or "sin" and tried to imagine our world, today, having to do the same. Would it curb the desire to commit a crime? Would society become more ruthless as in forming "gangs" or groups that honor their color? For example, a group of Chromes that are stained due to theft decide that they have no other option but to own their crime and in a sense form a gang of thieves that go around doing exactly what society labeled them to be for a lifetime?
I also found myself thinking deeper about the Religion theme as we see what people are doing in the name of Religion around the world today. The halfway house was created in the name of Religion in a sense to "protect" and "save" these women, but in a way it was more of a cult of shaming women for their crimes. A source of power and control for the Henleys. However, I think this is seen in Religion today depending on what side of the coin you fall. Is Religion truly used as a way to dole out unconditional love, forgiveness and salvation or do the majority choose to use it as a form of control and shaming...to keep it going. To keep, as some believe, the "big business" alive?
Eek...perhaps not the comments expected, but that was the beauty of the book. I had to take a look at my own "sins" and what I would do if they were publicly displayed as well as how I use my own Religion for myself as well as validation for my decisions.
In televising the people while they're in prison, I think this community has taken away a very big right for these criminals which is privacy. Obviously the nation wants to know what happened. But I think chroming these people and having them used as some sort of entertainment is out right cruel. They big thing for this new society seems to reflect on how many people are "Christians", yet they're branding people by mistakes they've made and making them more into entertainment then actually doing anything about them. Some crimes are extreme, and as human beings, we want to see people suffer for what they've done when it's so extreme. But as real Christians it shouldn't be about that. A person's life shouldn't be another's entertainment.
The ending was beautiful. As someone who reads all the time, I've had my share of books where the ending is so unrealistic, the guy gets the girl, they live happily ever after in some way, etc. The unrealistic endings are found very often. But I LOVE how this book ended. Hannah knew they couldn't be together. She knew she'd be taking away someone very loved in the community and how it could really hurt a lot of people's faith. She knew what they had done was wrong and this was just how it needed to be. They wouldn't be happy in the long run if they ran off to some distant island and never saw anyone again. The pain and guilt would still linger. I think she knew that Aidan needed to find a way to really deal with this himself. I was happy that he finally did come out and say something. I can't say I could fathom the nerve it would take to be in front of thousands of people who adore you and tell them something that could ruin your reputation and their beliefs. What he did with Hannah obviously wasn't right, but how many of us could say we'd admit to thousands of people our sins?
Question 1: No, I do not believe that the direction of reality TV is believable. It seems very unrealistic, but "When She Woke" had a very unrealistic plot. I don't see our worlds future turning into a place where if people commit a sin or a crime they have to be "dyed" a certain color. Isn't jail enough punishment?
I think that Hannah was justified in not revealing the abortionist and the father. I don't believe that it was an act committed in order to cause trouble or make a statement, but instead an act of protection and love. I believe Hannah was trying to protect those who she loved in order to save them from the same fate that she had. Now what I believe should have happened, is that the father should have stepped forward and carried the burden with her. Hannah didn't get pregnant by herself. She had help.
Question 2: The elements of this futuristic society make it easier for people to commit crimes, like abortion. In our society today, if you want to abort your child you have to consult a doctor. I have never heard of women sneaking around to murder their babies, nor a person who would be willing to kill their baby for them. I won't be surprised if one day women will be sneaking around like that. In the futuristic society in "When She Woke" the treatment is probably so easy to do because it's the future; new tool, gadgets, and technology.
I find it interesting that you had to wear the color of the "sin" you committed. The colors were chosen based on what that society viewed as crimes or sins. Imagine what colors people would have been dyed in today's world. There are so many actions that we view as crimes and sins today, that maybe that society wouldn't have considered a sin or crime then.
I defintiely think Hannah changed throughout the novel. She seemed to start to love herself again and become more brave. It seems a large majority of her life was about pleasing others and being a perfect daughter like her sister. So I think that she definitely changed throughout the book for the better.
Question 3: Hannah's decision about revealing the identity of the baby's father and the identity of the abortionist was all up to her. She trusted the abortionist and didn't want to rat him out, trust me if I was in her shoes I would have done the same thing. He kept her secret, so she should keep his. Hannah's decision about the baby's father surprised me, but then I thought twice; she could have come forward, but would people really believe her? He was a very respected man of the church and a respected man of God. Would he have owned up to it? I highly doubt it. Men are a superior bunch of human beings in "The Scarlet Letter" and in "When She Woke".
I believe that Hannah became more independent throughout the book. She stopped caring about others and became more focused on herself. Yes, Hannah did care about her sister and father because she loved them no matter what. You never do stop caring about those who you love or once loved. Hannah, however, did not care for those who didn't matter.
Question 4: Personally, I don't like Aidan. He seems like a good man in the church, but he's weak. If you are s REAL man why wouldn't you come forward? Why wouldn't you have been there for the so called "love of your life?"
7. I was really disappointed that Kayla disappeared in the second half of the novel. I understand the reason for her leaving, that Hannah needed to go out on her own, but Hannah almost seemed to forget about her until the very end. Especially after saying that she didn't know what she would do without Kayla, it didn't seem very believable to me.
6. I really enjoyed the change of character in Hannah. Her beliefs were changing throughout the whole novel. I could identify with that questioning, that realizing that your religion doesn't line up with your actual beliefs. It was also very interesting to see what beliefs stayed the same, like that even after all she'd been through, she still only felt like a woman while wearing a dress.
This book challenges the readers' beliefs and more so reading the book in a club that attends a Catholic school makes it especially challenging and insightful. Sometimes we go through our day never considering others around us or questioning why we do what we do...but this dystopian society forces its members to consider this and at the same time challenged the readers to think of their own false realities and lack of empathy.
As for the answer for number four; what if there was some level of guilt involved with Aidan? What if he directly made Hannah feel guilty or feel afraid of revealing him? I strongly feel as if Aidan emotionally manipulated Hannah more than just a few times. Regardless of how he was presented (priestly, honest, etc.) he was still an adulterous person. He was dishonest, inherently. He lied to Hannah about what he would say in the last part of the story. I don't agree with what Aidan did.
I honestly thought it was wrong to televise the people who were in prison. I feel that they violated these prisoners in a sense. The prisoners privacy was taken from them, as soon as they were televised. They took these people's sins and chroming as some sort of sick and twisted sense of entertainment. What if it had been one of their daughter or other family members? Would they still find it entertaining? The chroming may only affect the person physically, but it also affects their family emotionally and mentally. You may not be able to see it, but their is a toll on more than just one person.
One final question I have is the author's intent of the ending? There was a lack of resolution for me and I cannot pinpoint it. Hillary, what were you wanting in the end for Hannah--ultimately? Where do you see her life a few years after?
Question 5: Religion throughout "When She Woke" was thrown all around. Hannah, believed in God and respected him and adored him but she wanted to be more of herself. Like talking to men/boys, wearing dresses, sewing, and being a good looking woman. But she was banned from it basically most of her life. Hannah's mother and father were strict. They believed that God is the only man that should love you. And that it should be about God 24/7. I think the way her parents raised her made her become so secretive. Her sister Becca, in my opinion just wants to make her parents and her husband proud. I think she's the most confused one of them all. Aidan is a man of the word, but he is a hypocrite. If he knew adultery was wrong, then why did he commit it? Cole, is dangerous. He believes that everything should be his way. He would even kill to make the world a better place without chromes, but isn't that a sin as well?
Question 6: I think Hannah changes in a good way throughout the beginning of the book, to the end. In the beginning she was scared, frail, and sick. She was very confused and didn't know where her life was headed. She began to branch out when she met Kayla, and left the Henleys institution. She became very independent by the end of the book, and was ready to make decisions from herself.
Place yourself in Hannah's place. Would you be able to handle things the way that Hannah handled them? Would you keep quiet about the father, and not ruin his reputation in society? Or would you out him and make him carry out the burdened with you?
I think I would have handled things the way Hannah did. Although it would have been easier to have someone carry the burden with me, I wouldn't be able to destroy someone like that. I mean yes my reputation would have been destroyed, but I couldn't do that to someone else. In the end, he alone has to live with the guilt and that is punishing enough. Eventually, the guilt would have just ate him away until either he broke and owned up to sin, or he did something drastic to try and fix the issue at hand.
Question 7: When I first met Kayla, I really liked her. I had a feeling that she would be a big part of the story. I think that she was good to Hannah, and they were good friends. Hannah wouldn't have left her with the first Novermberists, and there were good amounts of trust between them. I think Hannah became VERY jealous of Kayla when Kayla started to grow feelings for Paul. I think Hannah wanted that same love and attention. Which she got that love and attention in a desperate way from Simone. Kayla is different from Hannah, she's a little bit more outgoing, she has a "smart mouth" but she had a good head on her shoulders. A well as Hannah.
Question 8: The halfway house ran by the Henleys was terrible. I thought that it would be good for Hannah and that she would become closer to God. But it did not, it did the opposite. I thought it was more like a prison, than a place where you go to get closer to God. The Henleys bossed people around ALL the time, and Hannah didn't get to be herself around anyone (except for Kayla). I thought it was SO STRANGE that Hannah had to carry a doll around named "Pearl" symbolizing her dead child. The Henleys did not intend it's purpose at all. I was so relieved when Hannah got to leave that awful place.
Skipped Question #9/ This is Question #10: I believe that the ending was believable. I think Hannah finally came to her senses that she learned a lesson from the entire situation. The religious rules and legal codes are much more complicated from the point of view of a chrome. From a sheltered church girl to an outlaw, Hannah does not lose her faith, but comes to question the rules that have trumped grace. Jesus seems to be the unnamed character in the book, pulling Hannah and all of us as readers back from the bring of self-righteousness. The Ten Commandments were offered to humanity in the hope that we might look at ourselves and, as a result, try to be more beautiful and pleasing to God. But it's so easy to take these gifts intended for self reflection and use them only to judge others. "When She Woke" doesn't show those commandments. It's a frightening story of what happens when we use those commandments badly. And that's a lesson that Hillary Jordan is careful to show rather than to tell.
TO THE AUTHOR: I would recommend your book to my friends, family, and people that I personally know. This book was very well written and I could tell it had ALOT of thought and work put into it. I didn't want to put the book down, I wanted to read even more when the story ended. I have two questions for you: 1.) What made you think of this idea of people being chromed? Do you think our future as a society will end up like it is in "When She Woke"? 2.) will there perhaps be a SEQUEL?!?!?!?! Hopefully you might take that into consideration! Thank you for taking the time to answer and read mine and my peers thoughts and questions.
Thank you!!!
Elizabeth Barnes
Miss Carnes,
You're not the first person to ask me about the ending (which believe it or not is actually less ambiguous than the ending of my first novel, MUDBOUND). As with that book, I find it more interesting to talk about what YOU think happened than what I intended. I left it ambiguous on purpose - why do you think I did that? Where do you see Hannah going?
I find it very surprising that this book was even chosen to be read at a Catholic school, btw!
To Ms. Barnes:
You will find a lengthy answer to your question about where I got the idea for chroming here: http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/hillary-jordan/news/interview-100611
As for the future, like most dystopian novels, WSW asks the question, what will things look like if continue down this road? And do we like how that looks? I sincerely hope the future in the book doesn't come true!
And no, I'm not planning a sequel - but I've said that before, with MUDBOUND, and I'm now writing the sequel to that!
To Ms Carnes' point about religion, I am not a fan of fundamentalism in any form. Yes, it seeks to control...but especially to control women: our bodies, our freedom, our thoughts.
The most beautiful idea in Christianity is what Jesus (and John Lennon) said: Love is the answer. It's a shame how often that seems to get lost in organized religion.
To Ms. Barnes,
I too was relieved when Hannah left the Straight Path Center! Those were some pretty horrible scenes to write! :)
To Ms. Barnes:
I love what you said about questioning "the rules that have trumped grace." I think we all need to do that! And I'm glad none of you seem to see the book as anti-religion, because it wasn't intended to be at all. (If anything, I think WSW comes down on the side of God being an Episcopalian :)
I will say that I was also forced to question some of my strongly held beliefs while writing WSW.
Thank you all for reading, and for your thoughtful comments! I will check in late tonight to see if there are any more burning questions.
Mrs. Jordan,
Why did you base your story off of "The Scarlet Letter"? Did have a hidden meaning inside its pages that simply called to you, asking for you to write a book that was similar to the "The Scarlet Letter"?
I find that though "When She Woke" may have touched on subjects that are appalling to Catholics, it also brought forth questions and maybe even some point of views that some Catholic's are afraid to build on or even ask.
My belief is that what some people or societies find "sinful" or "criminal", differs from what others believe and feel. I felt Hannah was justified in not telling others about the abortion and who the father was, while others may not. It depends on the person and what they truly believe in rather than the society as a whole. Now, others may criticize you for your beliefs or even imprison you for having those beliefs, but that doesn't mean that you give up on those beliefs and conform to society and their wishes.
So, the question is, have you ever believed in something that society a has deemed deplorable or wrong and therefore asked you to give up that belief and conform to their ways?
4. I think that him not coming forward is similar to a situation single mothers face with or without the chroming system of When She Woke. Even though she is in the wrong by engaging in an illegal relationship, he should also be honest about his doings. He is a father, and thus he is expected to act accordingly. He should have been public about the whole thing, so as not to mislead his congregation.
8. Love and good intentions pave the pretty road to hell, I think. The Henleys may have had the best thoughts when they created the halfway house, but when you are so caught up in helping someone, you may be hurting them. I think that really shows with the Henleys, and their very faithful, strict approach to their beliefs in what is right or wrong.
Mrs. Jordan,
Thank you for responding back to me! I will have to check out the link to the website you gave me! I would love to know more about where you got the idea. I wish you were planning a sequel for WSW! I am going to read Mudbound over Christmas break, im excited to start it. I've heard great things about it, from my Aunt who lives in Birmingham Alabama. We both love books about the South :) Do you have a webiste? I would like to check that out.
Take care.
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