THE SPACE BETWEEN STUDY GUIDE 2007 DON AKER

Transcription

1 THE SPACE BETWEEN STUDY GUIDE 2007 DON AKER A NOTE TO TEACHERS Dear Fellow Educator, I suspect that, like me, you have taught students who can read a passage aloud with very few miscues yet have very little understanding of what they ve just read. The same is true of me when I look at car-repair manuals. Despite the fact that I can usually read every word on their pages, I have little or no idea what they re telling me, which I attribute to my total lack of mechanical ability. Because reading is such a marvelous and complicated process, I d like to offer you two pieces of advice: 1) If at all possible, please read Louise Rosenblatt s book The Reader, the Text, the Poem (Southern Illinois University Press, 1978), which did more to help me understand the reading process than any other resource. I believe it should be required reading for every teacher, not just those who teach language arts. After all, students read in science classes, social studies classes, math classes. 2) What follows is a series of pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading questions and activities. Please do not think of them as a linear, lock-step series of tasks that students must complete when reading The Space Between. (I can think of no more effective way to destroy a novel than to print off a list of questions and pass it to students along with a copy of the book.) I believe individual teachers can design questions and activities that are far better suited to their learners and more meaningful, too than those listed below. I include them here only as suggestions. Please feel free to use, ignore, or modify as you see fit. In fact, I would love to hear from teachers who have adapted these or designed their own materials for student use. If you wish, send them to me (mail@donaker.com) as an attached Word file and I will include them with the suggestions below so that other teachers can benefit from your expertise. Thank you for choosing to share The Space Between with your students. And good luck! Sincerely, Don Aker

2 PRE-READING TASKS: 1. Describe your reaction to the novel s front cover. What expectations do you think the image sets up in the mind of a reader? Why? 2. Have you read any other novels written by Don Aker? If yes, what do you know about his books? Does this understanding influence what you can expect to read in The Space Between? 3. Read the cover copy printed on the back of the novel. Based on the information given there, predict what will happen in the story. 4. Have you ever taken a trip during which something happened that affected you deeply? Write about what happened, including how it affected you and why. 5. Consider what it is like to be a middle child in a family of three siblings. What advantages might a middle child enjoy? What disadvantages or challenges might this person face? 6. What do you know or think you know about pervasive developmental disorders, such as autism or childhood disintegrative disorder? What, if anything, are you curious to learn about these disorders? 7. Recall your first physically intimate experience with another person (this might be as simple as the first time you held hands with someone). Write about your thoughts and feelings during these moments. Was the experience what you expected? Tell why or why not. READER S GUIDE: 1. Besides catching the reader s interest, the first chapter of a novel should introduce the main character and indicate (or suggest) the novel s major conflict. Does the first chapter of The Space Between do all three? Explain. 2. List the characters who are introduced in Chapter 1. Beside each, tell what impression you get of the character and briefly explain what the author does to give you this impression. 3. In Chapter 2, Jace describes the homework assignments that two of his teachers have given him to complete while he is on vacation. Why do you think Jace s teachers assigned these particular tasks?

3 4. In Chapter 3, the reader learns more about Jace s breakup with his girlfriend, Cynthia. For whom do you feel more sympathetic Jace or Cynthia? Why? 5. What impression do you get in Chapter 3 of the relationship between Jace and his older brother, Stefan? How do you get this impression? 6. In Chapter 4, Jace shares with the reader information about Lucas s childhood disintegrative disorder. What impressions do you get of Jace and his family as a result of learning this information? Why? 7. In Chapter 6, Jace attempts to write in the notebook he is keeping for his English teacher. What does the reader learn about Jace during these moments? Why? 8. What do you discover about Stefan during Chapter 7? Describe your reaction to this discovery. 9. During Chapter 8, Jace recalls how Stefan never once talked to me about [his] trip [to Greece] when he got back, and I was grateful for that. Why do you think Stefan never spoke of his trip to Jace? Why do you suppose Jace was grateful that Stefan chose not to speak of it? 10. In Chapter 10, after Jace recovers consciousness, he sees the two canes left behind on the ground by the elderly man, and he thinks, Despite the images in my head, despite the blood in the bag and the continual throb that sets my teeth on edge, I smile. Why do you think Jace smiles here? 11. In Chapter 12, Jace sees his mother wiping away tears as she watches Connor playing with Lucas, but he says nothing: I let on I didn t see. I ve gotten good at that in the past year. What is your opinion of Jace at this point? Why? 12. At the end of Chapter 13, Jace tells the reader, I haven t wanted to talk [about Stefan s death]. Not before this. But, for some reason, I feel like talking now. Why do you think Jace decides to talk now when he has never spoken about Stefan s death before? 13. Comment on the last sentence in Chapter 14. Why do you think Jace feels he is to blame for his brother s death? 14. When Connor holds up the lightning glass in Chapter 15, Jace thinks, for the first time in nearly a year, I feel something different move inside me. Hope. Why do you think Jace feels hopeful here? What might he be hoping for? 15. After what Jace and Connor have shared during the last two days, were you surprised by Jace s actions at the beginning of Chapter 17? Why or why not? Do you think Jace was justified in reacting this way?

4 16. At the end of Chapter 17, Mara assures Jace that nothing would have happened between her and Connor. Why do you think she feels nothing would have happened? Do you believe her? Explain. 17. In Chapter 18, Jace refers to the space he has made for himself: The space between fearing and knowing. What do you think he means by this? 18. Why do you think Lucas is so intent on returning the shells to the ocean in Chapter 18? Does this change the way you view Lucas? Explain. 19. Comment on what happens in the Beachside Café in Chapter 18. Were you surprised by Connor s actions here? Why do you think he behaved this way? 20. In Chapter 19, Jace recalls how Stefan never once explained to our parents why he stopped bringing one girl home and began seeing another. Why do you think Stefan never seemed to want a long-term relationship? Why do you think he never offered his family an explanation when he broke up with a girlfriend? Why do you think his parents never asked him for one? 21. At the end of Chapter 19, Jace recalls being with Cynthia following Stefan s funeral and wishing he could tell her what had happened, what I d done. And what I d failed to do. What do you think Jace is referring to here? 22. In Chapter 20, Jace learns of Kate s game in the dining room. How do you feel about this game? Does it affect your opinion of Kate? Explain. 23. In Chapter 20, after she gives the dress to the wood carver, Kate tells Jace, It really doesn t change anything, does it? What does she mean here? Consider Jace s response to her: Not a damn thing. Except maybe us. In what way have they been changed by this experience? 24. Describe your reaction to the end of Chapter 21. Does it affect how you feel about the characters? Explain. 25. In Chapter 22, Connor shares with Jace a comment made by his friend, Barn. How do you feel about this comment? Would you agree or disagree with Barn? 26. In Chapter 24, Kate shares with Jace an assumption she made about him. Do you think she was justified in thinking what she did? Why or why not? 27. During Connor s rescue of Lucas in Chapter 25, Jace tells the reader, I stare at the blood rising from my hands and wonder what it would be like to be finally rid of it. To have it all go away. To choose what Stefan chose. Do you think Jace is a person who could ever make that same choice? Explain.

5 28. In Chapter 13, when Jace breaks down on the beach, Connor puts his hand on Jace s shoulder to comfort him. However, in Chapter 25, when an anguished Connor tells Jace how Lucas ended up in the water, Jace tells the reader, I reach out to put my hand on his shoulder, but then I don t, letting it fall instead to the sand. Why do you think Jace does not return this simple gesture? 29. In Chapter 26, the reader finally learns the reason why Jace blames himself for what happened to Stefan. Do you think Jace s actions contributed to his brother s death? Explain. 30. In Chapter 28, the reader learns the secret that Jace s mother, Sophia, has been keeping for nearly a year. Describe your reaction to this secret. How do you feel about Sophia at this point? 31. In Chapter 28, Jace writes in his notebook, That evening by the pool as she told me about Stefan, I wanted to reach out to my mother, wanted to tell her what she needed me to say: that she wasn t to blame for what happened, that she d done the best she could for him. But I couldn t. How do you feel about Jace here? Should he have reached out to his mother and told her what she needed to hear? Why or why not? 32. In Chapter 28, Jace writes, it s not what I m bringing back [from Mexico] that s important. It s what I ve left behind. And it isn t latex wrapped in coloured foil. What do you think Jace is talking about here? 33. At the end of the novel, Jace intends to tell Cynthia Thank you. What do you think he s thanking her for? Why do you think this? 34. In the novel s final sentence, Jace writes, I want to see [Cynthia] open that wooden Jesus, watch her face as she frees all those figures inside. Why do you think this is so important to him now? QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WRITER S CRAFT: 1. Explain whether the title The Space Between is appropriate for the novel. 2. The first-person point of view is the most intimate and involving because the reader hears the story directly from a character involved in the events. However, a disadvantage of this point of view is that readers can t always be sure that what a character is telling them is completely accurate or true. Do you think Jace is a reliable narrator, or are there scenes in The Space Between when you doubt what he is telling the reader? Explain.

6 3. The success of the first-person point of view depends largely on the voice the reader hears as he/she reads the narrative. Did you hear Jace s voice as you read the novel? If yes, what did he sound like? If no, what kept you from hearing it? 4. In Chapter 8, Jace recalls researching the meanings of the names of everyone in his immediate family. Writers often choose characters names for a reason. Suggest reasons why Don Aker chose these particular names for the Antonakos family. (It may be helpful for you to research further information about these names.) 5. Even the most minor characters in a story must serve a definite purpose. Identify three characters who appear only briefly in The Space Between, and tell why the author included them by explaining the specific roles they perform in the novel. 6. Often, writers will use characters to make statements that convey broader understandings in a story. Read the following statements that Jace shares with the reader, and explain how each conveys an important idea reflected in the novel as a whole: People will expect you to give up everything if you let them. (Chapter 1) I like how sometimes the most amazing discoveries lie just beneath the surface. (Chapter 7) It can t be easy for her. To admit that your whole life is a lie. (Chapter 17) It s my job to collect the shells they drop. I think about how naturally I assume this role. It s so much easier than making my own choices, actually selecting what I ll keep and what I ll leave behind. (Chapter 18) I m suddenly struck by how much we miss, how much happens around us without our knowledge. And by how much unfolds inside us without our ever knowing it s there. (Chapter 25) I think of our tour guide, Roberto, explaining how the Yucatan got its name, and I know my brother would have liked that story, how one word can say so much about what s wrong in our lives. (Chapter 28) 7. The chapters of a novel often end when the time or place of a narrative will change, which helps the reader transition smoothly from one moment or location to another. This is true of many of the chapter endings in The Space Between, but not all of them. Find a chapter division where the time and place do not differ significantly between the ending of the previous chapter and the beginning of the next, and explain why the author chose to break the narrative where he did. 8. Don Aker spends considerable time detailing setting in The Space Between. Choose a setting in the novel that the author describes at length (e.g., the hotel dining room, the ruins at Tulum, etc.) and suggest a reason why the author felt it necessary to describe it so thoroughly. 9. Water is a recurring image in The Space Between. Identify several different scenes in the novel where water figures prominently, and explain what function water plays in each of them.

7 10. When an author mentions an object more than once in a narrative, it takes on significance for the reader. What is the significance of the nesting Jesus in The Space Between? 11. During the novel, both Jace and Lucas might have drowned if not for Connor s actions. Why could it be considered ironic that it is Connor who brings both brothers to the surface? 12. Several times throughout the novel, the author chooses to delay revealing key information (e.g., the circumstances of Stefan s death, why Jace feels to blame for this, why Connor drinks so much, what Sophia tells Jace beside the pool, etc.). Do you think the author was right to delay revealing this information? Why or why not? 13. Although the story told in The Space Between is a tragic one, Don Aker uses humour throughout the novel. Was this an effective choice, or did you find it distracting in such a serious narrative? Explain. 14. When watching the film The Sixth Sense for the first time, viewers are often surprised by what they discover at the end. However, directors like M. Night Shyamalan know that, if viewers are to accept such a twist, filmmakers must prepare their viewers for it when watching The Sixth Sense a second time, for example, viewers are able to recognize several clues that point toward the surprise ending, clues they didn t notice the first time they watched the film. Similarly, if writers wish to include a surprise or twist in a story or novel, they must prepare their readers for it. What clues does Don Aker provide earlier in The Space Between that help prepare readers for Connor s surprising revelation to Jace? 15. William Shakespeare wrote, Always give sorrow words. Grief that does not speak whispers to the over-fraught heart and bids it to break. How is this understanding reflected in the events of The Space Between? EXTENDING YOUR READING: 1. Some adults have been critical of authors who address issues of sexuality in novels meant for teenagers. How would you respond to an adult who might criticize Don Aker for making it a focus of The Space Between? 2. Locate some reliable sites on the Internet that provide current statistics about suicide rates by age in your province or state. Compare the suicide rates of teenagers with those of other age groups. Do they surprise you? Why or why not?

8 3. When writing the scene in the piano bar in Chapter 19, the author originally planned to include the fourth verse of Tracy Chapman s song Telling Stories from the album of the same name but he was unable to obtain permission to use it. Locate the lyrics to Chapman s song and read the fourth verse at least twice. Why do you think Don Aker felt these lines were appropriate for The Space Between? Do you feel they re more appropriate than the verse from Never-Ending Empty? Explain. 4. Leah Delaney, the singer described in Chapter 19, is not a real person the song Never-Ending Empty was written by Don Aker. Below are the lyrics to the entire song. Create an appropriate melody to accompany the lyrics, and record the song to share with others. Never-Ending Empty There are moments when I catch myself waking from a dream thinking that you never went away, then realize the face I see is only in my mind and I brace myself for yet another day I say the things expected of a person in my shoes and no one ever questions if I m wrong The hardest part is knowing that no matter what I do I ll always still be here and you ll be gone I go through all the motions dragging me from start to end, pretend my life is more than private hell Lies are my companions, my salvation, even friends, especially the lies I tell myself There are stories in our silences The things that don t get said speak louder than we ever dream they can They echo through the space between the place I long to be and this never-ending empty where I am 5. Don Aker has often commented that his most valuable writing tool is his notebook in which he records ideas and observations that he later uses in his short stories and novels. Locate books or articles in which various authors discuss their use of notebooks (e.g., The Notebooks: Interviews and New Fiction from Contemporary Writers, edited by Michelle Berry and Natalee Caple, Anchor, 2002), and read how different professional

9 writers use this tool. Then, try keeping your own writer s notebook for a period of time and see if it impacts on your writing. 6. Imagine that you write an online advice column and, after returning from Mexico, Connor s you (anonymously) asking for advice. Write your response to Connor. 7. Imagine that Jace encounters Connor unexpectedly in a mall a few months after the novel ends. Write this scene. 8. If possible, read The David Kopay Story, by David Kopay and Perry Deane Young (Arbor House, 1977; Advocate Books, 2001), or Inside Out, by Mark Tewksbury (John Wiley & Sons, 2006). Then, imagine you are Connor and write a response to what you have read. 9. Although Lucas is uncommunicative much of the time, he impacts on the Antonakos family in very real ways. If you live with a person who has a developmental disorder, write about this experience. If not, view a film (e.g., Autism Is a World) or read a book (e.g., The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and write a reflection telling what it would be like to live with the person at the center of the film/book. 10. During the novel s final chapter, Jace ponders the sentence Things happen for a reason. Do you believe that things happen for a reason in our lives? If yes, give examples from your own life that support this belief. If not, explain why this statement does not reflect your view of life.