Click
here to listen (right-click to download)
"In a June of 2006 letter published in Oprah Winfrey's literary magazine O. Lee spoke of her early reception of books as a child, and of her still steadfast dedication to the written word. Lee wrote '"Now, 75 years later in an abundant society where people have laptops, cell phones, iPods, and minds like empty rooms, I still plod along with books.'"
Why is our fish named VHS? Well, we have a beta fish. Our first fish was Max (for obvious reasons) but he died. Just like Beta. So we named our new fish VHS. Maybe he'll live longer?
Discussion for Dandelion Wine (from sparknotes.com):
- Bradbury writes several times in Dandelion Wine about the ravine, the middle ground between civilization and untamed nature, with roads leading to both. What can be said about the interaction between these two forces throughout the book? Does Bradbury seem to favor one over the other? Why?
- Before he leaves, John Huff shows Douglas that it is often difficult to remember certain things, even if they are important to us. How do you reconcile this statement with the fact that the entire book stems from Bradbury's recollections of childhood?
- Tom, Douglas, and Grandpa Spaulding seem to represent three different stages of awareness, with Douglas somewhere in the middle and Tom and Grandpa Spaulding at opposite ends. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use the relationships between these three characters and other examples from the book as evidence for your argument.
- Although Dandelion Wine is primarily about a twelve-year-old boy, there are a host of older characters in the book. What is the role of the older people in the book? What are the contrasts between the way that old people view the world and they way that children view the world? Please mention at least three different older characters.
- What is the role of the Lonely One in the novel? Take into account his role both as a man who was killed by Lavinia Nebbs and as a force that the boys believe is still alive.
- Helen Loomis, Colonel Freeleigh, and Great-grandma Spaulding all die happy. Assess how Bradbury makes death all right for each of these characters and then draw some conclusions about the role of death in Dandelion Wine.
- Leo Auffmann discovers that the true Happiness Machine is his family. Assess the role of family in Dandelion Wine from the perspective of at least three different characters.
- Is Dandelion Wine a realistic novel? Does Douglas Spaulding represent all twelve year old boys? Defend each answer taking into account possible counterarguments.
- Bradbury uses a lot of imagery in this novel. In what ways does his language mirror the content of the novel? Please refer to a few specific passages.
