Necessary Context Also Sennas Caucasia Compared

For this book club, make sure you have read Senna’s Caucasia from pg 133-289 (if you have an edition that doesn’t neatly end on 289, read up to “Compared to What”).

After you’ve read the section, post a numbered list of thoughtful discussion questions (at least 4) and reflections (at least 2) from the excerpt. Discussion questions should focus mainly on the racial themes of the book and be in-depth, thought-provoking questions. (Bad examples of discussion questions: “Why did Birdie do X?” “Do you think they’re going to get caught?”) Since this isn’t an in-person book club, make sure your questions provide the necessary context– also including page numbers of what you’re referencing. Each question and reflection should be multiple sentences long.

In your responses, you will need to respond to two of your classmates, on their threads. Choose at least two items from their list (one must be a question, the other can be either a question or reflection) and provide a substantive response [Example: “In response to your Question 1, ….”] that provokes more discussion similar to the other discussions we have in class. Be sure to make connections to course material.

Classmate 1

1. On page 242, Samantha says to Birdie “I’m black. Like you.” Has Samantha been aware of Birdie’s race all along, or is Birdie mishearing her?

2. Birdie starts to add things to her box of “negrobilia” that Deck left her. What is the importance of these “items?” (Black barbie head, hair pick, James Brown tape). Do they help her remember Cole and Deck?

3. Birdie holds on to a fantasy of helping Deck’s research by spying on white people while “passing.” How does she fail or succeed in her study and what does she find out?

4. On page 137, Birdie says “In those years, I felt myself to be incomplete. A gray blur, a body in motion, forever galloping toward completion – half a girl and for me, there was comfort in that state of incompletion, a sense that as long as we kept moving, we could go back to what we had.” What do you think Birdie means when she describes herself as a gray blur? Does this relate to her raci

Classmate 2 still wait for him post it. I will list it as soon i have it