70 pages • 2 hours read
Lynda RutledgeWest with Giraffes
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
How does the history of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl influence the plot of this novel? Select at least three moments to focus on in your analysis.
What effect does Riley have on Woodrow’s character development? What is the importance of secondary characters to a novel as a whole?
How does Red’s character both represent and subvert gendered stereotypes and regulations of the 1930s? What is Rutledge’s message about feminism?
What does Woodrow learn after his experience with the Jackson family? What does this reveal about internalized racism? What is Rutledge’s message about racial progress and self-revision?
How does Woodrow’s character develop throughout the novel? How does Woodrow’s character remain unchanged? Select three moments of the text to analyze in your character analysis.
Who or what acts as an antagonist in this novel? You might choose to focus your response on oppressive laws, greed, or stock antagonists like Percival. Be sure to include an analysis of what effect this antagonist has in the development of Rutledge’s themes(s).
Why does Rutledge decide to keep Riley’s past a mystery? What does this signify about the power of storytelling and memory?
Why does Woodrow decide to tell his story specifically for Red’s daughter?
What elements of American culture or ethos do you see implied in the plot or characterizations in this novel? Are these elements intended to be a criticism, or a celebration? Explain your reasoning.
In what ways can this novel be analyzed as a testament to the value of animal life and the importance of animal rights? Explain your reasoning using evidence from the text.
