James: A Novel

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How would you describe James's tone and mood? What elements of the work (plot points, narrative voice, etc.) contributed to that effect, and did you enjoy it?
• How did you feel about the novel’s ending? Did you find it a satisfying conclusion to the work’s themes, character arcs, etc.? Why or why not?
• What do you know about the modern-day controversy surrounding Huckleberry Finn’s depiction of race and racism? Did this influence the way you read James?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Connect the book’s themes and characters with personal experiences.

• Family is central to James but also intertwined with much trauma: Enslavement jeopardizes Jim’s ability to remain with his wife and child, Huck’s father abuses him, etc. How did you feel about the novel’s depiction of family? Which relationships or moments resonated most with you, and why?
• Jim is a self-educated man who places a great deal of stock in his learning. How do Jim’s views on education compare to your own? What role has education played in your own life?
• For a variety of reasons, Huck is shocked to learn that Jim is his biological father. Have you ever learned something that changed the way you saw yourself? How did you respond? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is generally considered an anti-slavery text, but James takes this indictment of slavery further. What particular aspects of enslavement does the novel highlight? How does the novel’s point of view facilitate this critique?
• Jim’s narrative voice is quite different from the voice he uses when interacting with white characters. How might this relate to the idea of code-switching in a contemporary context?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How would you describe Huck and his relationship with Jim? If you’ve read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, how does Everett’s version of Huck compare to Twain’s? What role does Huck serve in James?
• Consider the novel’s title. Why do you think Everett chose to call his novel James, particularly as the protagonist goes by “Jim” throughout most of the novel? What might be the significance of the subtitle (“a novel”)?
• What is Jim’s relationship to Christianity like? What point do you think the novel is making about the way religion can be used to legitimize unjust societal institutions like enslavement?
• James references many Enlightenment thinkers, including Voltaire and Rousseau. Why is Jim interested in these writers, and what does their presence add to the novel? Does reading James require prior familiarity with Enlightenment thought?

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Imagine that the events of this book actually occurred. If you were designing historical markers to place at various points along Jim’s journey, what moments and places would you most want to spotlight? What would those markers say?
• Huckleberry Finn has been adapted for the screen several times. Consider a film adaptation of James. Does this novel change the way you would think about casting roles like Jim and Huck? Who would you cast? 
• Having read James, are there any other characters in either Everett’s novel or Twain’s whose perspectives you would like to see explored? If you were telling their story, what would you emphasize?

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