Last Bus To Wisdom: A Novel

Analyze the significance of an item or setting not discussed in this guide, such as Donal’s moccasins, Herman’s greenhouse, or the highway between Montana and Wisconsin. What does the item or setting represent, or why is it significant in the narrative? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

In what ways does the author draw a parallel between Herman’s life and the lives of the seasonal workers moving from one great harvest to another?

Compare and contrast the characters of Gram and Aunt Kate. How are they alike? What different life decisions have they made, and how do those decisions impact others around them?

How do Doig’s descriptions of cities in Wisconsin—Milwaukee and Manitowoc—compare to his descriptions of Montana? What do the author’s descriptions of Montana reveal about his feelings for the state?

Donal spends half of the book riding on a Greyhound bus. How might the narrative differ if he had flown on a plane or ridden a train? What tone and nuance does the Greyhound bus bring to the narrative?

How does Donal change as a person over the course of the narrative? What new strengths has he gained? What additional personal resources has he acquired?

Donal and Herman receive a warning from Hoppy, the last bus driver, about the rough nature of the workers they ride with. Does his warning bear out in the behavior of the Johnson family? What messages does Doig offer about prejudice or stereotypes via the farm workers?

Consider Donal’s appreciation of colloquialisms and vulgar language, as well as Herman’s German references and use of English. How does Doig use language to contribute to characterization, plot development, and setting?