Hoops

Being Black is a crucial aspect of Lonnie’s identity and figures heavily into the plot of the novel. Analyze how Black identity impacts Lonnie and the plot as a whole, using specific evidence or particular scenes.

In many relationships portrayed in Hoops, gender plays an important role. Choose one relationship and analyze how gender influences the characters or how they deal with conflict.

An important underlying thematic element of Hoops is how the different young men interact as part of a basketball team. What message does Myers send about teams and teamwork? Explain your argument using specific evidence and moments in the novel.

Lonnie’s developing role as a leader on his basketball team is part of the climax of the novel. What plays the biggest role in Lonnie’s maturation and growth? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Which basketball game is most important in the novel? Using evidence from that specific scene, articulate how one game alters the plot as a whole.

There are several antagonists presented in the novel: Tyrone, O’Donnel, and Tomkins, to name a few. Choose one antagonist and examine how Lonnie’s relationship to them impacts the course of the novel or how it impacts Lonnie as a character. Use precise evidence to support your arguments.

Though the novel centers on basketball, the title Hoops could be interpreted in many ways. Why did Myers choose this title? How does it relate to the larger messages of the plot? Create an original argument and support it with evidence from the novel.

Parent-child relationships are at the heart of many of the most emotional moments in the novel. For example, Lonnie has an absent father, while Cal and Aggie lost their child in an accident. Choose one parent-child relationship and explore its significance using evidence from the text.