The Shape of Thunder

How are Cora’s family and Quinn’s family alike and different? In what ways do these differences and similarities help the girls’ friendship? How do their families help or hurt their grieving processes?

How does Mabel feature as a character throughout the narrative? How does her death impact Quinn and the McCauleys?

How does Jasmine Warga illustrate the progression of smaller acts of racism, known as microaggressions, to larger, racially motivated acts of violence? How does the novel demonstrate the effect that these acts of violence have? In what ways do Parker’s actions affect those outside of the McCauleys and the Hameds?

How do the McCauleys process Parker’s actions? How does this affect each member of the family individually and as a whole? In what ways are they grieving?

Who serves as a positive role model within the novel? What do they say and do to show their support? Choose two characters to compare using passages from the text to explain your answer.

How does grief and guilt manifest in Quinn and Cora’s lives? How do the people around them confirm or refute their guilt and grief? What do their feelings reveal about their own characters and who they are?

In what ways are Quinn and Cora marked by their siblings in school? How do their classmates speak to them? Are the girls supported, isolated, or both? Explain your answer using quotations from the novel.

How do Cora and Quinn’s healing journeys begin and end? In what ways are their journeys similar and different?