Use these questions to help guide your 321 Literature Circle assignment.

Feel free to cut

and paste some (NOT ALL) of the questions, and make sure to provide thoughtful
responses including direct/indirect evidence from the book to support your ideas. Be
prepared to discuss the questions and answers in order to demonstrate understanding of
the story.

My Name Is Not Easy Discussion Questions - Part I (pp. 3-74)

*Be prepared to discuss these questions in literature circle*

I’ve never met them Catholics, yet, but I heard about them. If you give them a kid ‘til
the age of seven, they got ‘em for life. That’s what Catholics say. I watch Isaac scuttle
across the floor, an uneasy feeling stirring in my stomach. Isaac is only six. (p. 4)

• Foreshadowing is a literary device that serves as a warning or indication of events to come.

Discuss how the passage above serves as foreshadowing for the events that take place in
this part of the book.

• Part I is entitled ‘The Day the Earth Turned Over’ (pg. 1). The passage printed beneath the
section title has been taken from the Iñupiaq oral history. It is a survival story telling how the
Iñupiaq endured the Ice Age. Explain why the author chose to begin My Name is Not Easy
on this cultural note.

• Reread the passage found on page 1. Make a connection between this piece of Iñupiaq oral
history and the students’ arrival at The Sacred Heart School.

• Explain how Luke’s impression of Catholics was formed. Who explained Catholic ways to
Luke? Was the information factual? Truthful? Explain your answer.

I nod because even though I never heard that word before, I can tell what it means by
the way she says it. Intimidating is the way these trees close in around a person, like
they might try and choke you (p. 15).

• The word intimidating is defined as being frightening or threatening. Determine

whether Chickie’s interpretation of the word intimidating is correct. Explain your answer.

• Chickie had no mother but on page 14, she says that Sister Mary Kate sounds more like a
mother than a nun. Explain how she might know the difference between the two.

• Chickie states that Sister Mary Kate is as tall as a tree. Analyze Chickie’s first impression of
Sister Mary Kate. Tell why she used the image of a tree as a description. Explore how this
description correlates with the chapter title – ‘Looking for a Tree.’

After feels like a big black hole, and Sister is perched on the edge of it, clutching Isaac.
Isaac’s eyes are spots of bright black terror (p. 21).

• The passage above is taken from the chapter titled ‘Never Cry.’ Explain how the chapter
title summarizes the premise of this chapter.

• Tell why Luke resists crying.

• A black hole is defined as a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light
cannot get out. Analyze the author’s use of the color black in this phrase. Discuss the
emotional tone, the color black, and references to space suggests.

• Tell why Luke stood ‘helpless’ as Isaac was taken away (p. 21). Explain why he didn’t
overtly react to the situation, or did he? Explain your answer.

Abide is one of those church words. I’m not quite sure what it means, and I don’t want
to find out, either (p. 48).

• The verb abide can be defined in a number of ways. It means to remain, to live in a certain
place, to stop and wait for someone or something, and to put up with. Determine which
definition the priest is referring to in this passage. Explain your answer.

• The passage above was taken from the chapter entitled ‘How Hunters Survive.’ Explore the
meaning of this chapter title. Consider if the act of survival has more to do with surrender
than the act of hunting.

• Define the word survival in your own words. Explain what the word means to you.

• Define the word victim in your own words.

• Compare and contrast the terms survivor and victim. Tell how the terms are similar, and yet
very different. Discuss how the terms correlate with Luke, Amiq, Sonny, Bunna, Isaac, and
Chickie’s experiences.

“Confusion,” Father snapped, “is the mark of the Devil.” His eyes were shining with a
strange light, and they both backed away, instinctively, both of them suddenly aware of
that two-by-four waiting in the corner behind them (p. 63).

• Tell what the ‘mark of the Devil’ means.

• On page 64, Sonny describes the beating Father Mullen gives Amiq. Sonny observes “…
something in Amiq’s eyes.” Interpret Sonny’s description of the scene. Tell what Sonny sees
in Amiq.

• Consider why Father Mullen is treating Amiq so harshly. Does Amiq pose some kind of
threat to Father Mullen? How so? Explain your answer.

Discussion Questions - Part II (pp. 75-136)

Guard well Thy inner door where we reveal our need of Thee (p. 79).

• Identify what is meant by an ‘inner door.’

• Consider if the ‘inner door’ might represent the students’ native culture and traditions
brought with them from their homelands. If it is true, explain why the students of the Sacred
Heart School would need to guard themselves in this way.

• Tell what might happen if students revealed weakness or became empowered by their
heritage.

• Explain why the students are not allowed to speak and act in ways that are consistent with
their own beliefs.

That letter I pulled out of the mail bag without asking is getting very heavy, and I
haven’teven been able to read it yet (p. 96).

• A metaphor is literary device using an implied comparison between two unrelated objects.
Tell why the letter Luke is referencing is getting heavy, metaphorically speaking.

• Predict why Father Mullen chose not to give Luke the letters Isaac sent.

• Explain why Isaac’s well-formed letters are somewhat comforting to Luke.

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “They’re on our side. And it don’t hurt” (p. 115).

• Explain the real reason why the doctors administering the Iodine-131 wore protective
aprons.

• Identify the doctor’s intent in telling Luke that he was like a soldier. Tell how drinking
Iodine-131 allows for Luke to play a role in fighting the Cold War.

• Consider why Amiq became angered when Luke confessed to drinking Iodine-131 at the
doctor’s request.

• Explore the practice of in loco parentis. Determine why the Sacred Heart School benefits
from this practice.

Discussion Questions - Part III (pp. 137-166)

“It’s too late, Father,” Bunna says. “The Eskimos already beat everybody. There’s an
Iñupiaqshaman who went up to the moon a long time ago.” He leans forward when he
says it, drawing out the words like he’s trying to make sure I hear them (p. 140).

• Consider the boldness of Bunna’s statement. Explain he is confidently proclaiming a

spiritual belief embraced by his culture.

• The Iñupiaq believe that that shaman can leave his body and travel great distances.
Discuss the possibilities or probabilities that the Iñupiaq shaman Bunna is referring to
actually went up to the moon.
• Tell why Chickie feels that Bunna wants her to hear his words.

• Explain how Bunna’s statement serves as foreshadowing for the events that take place in the
latter part of ‘Part III: When the Time Comes.’

Luke has no choice: he has to let go (p. 154).

• Explore the reasons why Luke has to let Bunna return home without him.

• Tell why the boys fought before Bunna’s departure. Discuss why fighting could, possibly,
help in the act of separation.

• Identify the symbolism of Uncle Joe’s gun. Trace its connection with family and home.

I already know this. I know it now like I knew it a second ago, like I knew it last week.
All of the time – past and present and even future, all of it running together in my head
like the gravy on my plate (p. 163).

• Determine how Luke was able to predict Bunna’s death.

• Do you feel Luke is somewhat responsible for Bunna’s death? Why or why not?

• Explain the significance of sending Uncle Joe’s gun with Bunna.

• In your opinion, does Bunna’s death weaken or strengthen Luke’s connection with the
Iñupiaq culture? Explain your answer.

Maybe it was part of an old story, a story that starts with a nuclear flash too bright to
believe, a flash that changes everything (p. 137).

• Return to the ‘Part III: When the Time Comes’ title page (p. 137). Analyse the poem
printed there by referencing events that have taken place in the story such as:
◦ The threat of the Cold War
◦ Space travel
◦ Iodine-131
◦ Spiritual and cultural beliefs
◦ Death
◦ Loss

• Explore the line “...an old story, a story that starts with a nuclear flash...” Consider the
references and sequencing of time and events in this phrase. Tell how an ‘old’ story could
take place before the nuclear age.

• Predict what the line “And all we ever know about that light is that it’s something we/
aren’t supposed/to talk about, aren’t supposed to remember, but we do” is referring to.
Identify what the students of the Sacred Heart School are not supposed to remember.

• Explain why it is important to the leadership of the Sacred Heart School that the students
forget their past.

Discussion Questions - Part IV & Epilogue (pp. 167-244)

“The snowbirds come in the spring, right before whaling, so when you see the first
snowbird, you know right away the whales are coming. That’s why they call them God’s
messengers,” he said (p. 175).

• Bunna gave Chickie the nickname Snowbird. Being that the snowbird is considered to be
messengers from God, explain the significance of Chickie’s nickname.

• Explore how Chickie’s nickname symbolically integrates cultural beliefs.

• Later in the scene, Chickie has the revelation that Luke is her brother, not in a familial
sense, but in more of a spiritual one. Discuss their relationship at this point in the story.

• If Chickie considers Luke to be her brother, define her relationship to Isaac.

I know this because I was there, Luke thought suddenly. I was the leader, testing the
safety of the frozen world with my own skin. I was there (p. 195).

• Return to the passage entitled ‘The Day the Earth Turned Over’ (pg. 1). Review the phrases
“We were there.” and “We survived them all . . .” Explore the spiritual link between the
nature of Luke’s thoughts in the quote above.

• Consider Luke’s revelation as being a leader of a spiritual kind.

• Discuss how Bunna’s death has affected Luke’s connection with his cultural beliefs and
with the leaders of the past.

• Predict the symbolic meaning behind Luke’s revelation of being the leader. Discuss whether
this vision might serve as a signal for Luke to act boldly in some way.

Just like those duck hunters. We are hunters, too. Amiq thinks, looking at them all and
smiling: hunters for justice (p. 225).

• Retell the story of the Barrow Duck-In. Explain how the hunters’ actions were considered to
be an act of civil disobedience.

• Determine how notarizing newspaper articles could be considered an act of civil

disobedience.
• Discuss how banding together as a clan, or a family, in the act civil disobedience caused the
students of the Sacred Heart School to become ‘hunters for justice.’ Identify the type of
justice they were seeking.

He can’t quite explain it about that earthquake, but it’s like things were crooked before,
and now they’re not. Like they weren’t lined up, but now they are. The earth is like
that, Luke thinks. Flipping over and over and over again, trying to right itself, always
trying to right itself (p. 239).

• List the ‘crooked’ things Luke is referring to in the statement above. Identify issues and
events that are ‘lined up’ as a result of the natural disaster.

• Do you feel that the earthquake was brought about by the spiritual realm or natural causes?
How so?

• Turn back to the poem entitled ‘The Day the Earth Turned Over’ found on page 1. Discuss
how this poem serves as foreshadowing for the entire story.

• Interpret the line “They say no one survived the ice ages but they’re wrong.” If a culture’s
ancestors survive trials, does that mean that those living in present day have survived the
same trials, as well? How so?

• Reflect on and explain the connection of cultural heritage and survival as it pertains in My
Name is Not Easy, and, perhaps, in your own life.