Brooklyn

When Eilis moves into Mrs. Kehoe’s boardinghouse, she finds that the other girls divide into two distinct groups. How do these girls influence Eilis and help her grow? How does she negotiate the tension between the groups’ opposing lifestyles?

Homesickness plays an important role in Brooklyn. What opposing forces balance The Longing for Home and prevent Eilis from abandoning her life in the US?

Eilis has two love interests in the novel: Tony and Jim. Compare and contrast these characters as well as their approach to a relationship with Eilis.

How does Rose serve as a role model for Eilis, and what impact do her letters have on Eilis in Brooklyn?

Throughout Brooklyn, Eilis must confront the many different expectations her family has for her. How does she navigate the conflicts between other people’s expectations and her own desires?

Bookkeeping is an important part of Eilis’s new life in Brooklyn. How does bookkeeping help Eilis fight through her homesickness and what does it represent for her future?

As Eilis settles into life in America, she experiences Brooklyn as a Source of Possibility. How does she adapt to the rapid pace of life in Brooklyn, and how does it shape her emerging identity?

What role does Father Flood play in Brooklyn and how does he help Eilis cultivate a connection to Enniscorthy?