Month: August 2010
Genre: Fiction Literature:
Book of the Month: The Condition
Author: Jennifer Haigh
Question source: http://www.jenniferhaigh.com/condition_guide.html
Discussion Questions:
2. In what ways does Gwen's condition reverberate throughout the McKotch family? What do Frank and Paulette's differing opinions about how to treat Gwen's condition reveal about their personalities and also about their relationship?
3. Paulette and Frank's marriage was rife with misunderstandings on both sides. Was one person more to blame than the other for their break-up? Of the two, who did you find to be more sympathetic? Why does Billy blame his father for the divorce?
4. What was your impression of Paulette? Do you suppose the author meant for her to be a likeable character?
5. Discuss Paulette's relationship with Donald and her infatuation with Gil Pyle. What did Paulette find in her relationship with Donald that she did not with Frank?
6. Frank often compares his working-class background in a Pennsylvania mining town with Paulette's pedigreed family, musing that everything comes down to upbringing. How does his children's upbringing affect the paths they take in life? Was Frank a bad father, as Paulette seemed to believe?
7. On the surface the three McKotch children are extremely different. In what ways, if any, are they alike?
8. Why does Gwen distance herself from her family both physically and emotionally? Why does she ultimately decide to forgive Rico and Scott but not her mother?
9. Do you agree with Paulette's decision to send Scott to St. Raphael to bring Gwen home? Why is it so difficult for Paulette to believe that a man might be attracted to Gwen? Is she merely being a protective mother?
10. Gwen ends up living on St. Raphael, worlds away from her isolated life in Pittsburgh and Concord before that. What does she find on the Caribbean island that she hasn't anywhere else? Why does she reconcile with Rico?
11. What prompts Billy to finally reveal to his family that he's gay? How do Paulette and Frank each react to the news?
12. By the time the family reconvenes at the Captain's House, what realizations has Scott come to about his life—professionally and romantically, as well as his role as a father? In what ways have the others changed by the time of the reunion?
13. Sense of place is an important theme in The Condition. How do the opening scenes at the Captain's House set the tone for the rest of the novel? What do the main characters' living spaces, from Paulette's 200-year-old Concord house to Billy's meticulously decorated New York City apartment, reveal about them?
14. What do you suppose the future holds for the five members of the McKotch family?
15. Jennifer Haigh unfolds the narrative from the alternating perspectives of Frank, Paulette, and their three children. In what ways did this enhance your reading of the story?
16. Overall, what are your thoughts about the way the author presents the McKotches? Did you find their story to be a realistic and believable one?
11 comments:
It's working for me! That's weird, though because I think I got 2 other emails with comments on this post and they are not showing up here. I have to come back and post. I really liked this book. Great pick!
1. Another title would apply for the whole family “In my own skin”.
2. Well her condition affects every ones life in one way or another. Paulette wanted to smother her and Frank really wanted her to live a normal life, he was just overwhelmed with the science of her illness instill of realizing his daughter is not lab rat but his daughter.
3. I really blame Paulette. She was bugging the whole time, thinking Frank was cheating and she following the man around town to catch him in the act, which she never did. She was very insecure about his love for her. Poor Billy was subjected to her craziness and as a child believes what his mother says about his father, which wasn’t true. Also big mistake ;Paulette should have never discuss grown things with her children. It’s not for them to know.
Not to say Frank didn’t have a part either. The Italians believe in the three F’s; faith, family and friends Frank let his work come first before anything and when it’s all said and done its your family, friends and faith in god is what is important. Your job will replace you without a thought. It’s your family and friends that keep your memory alive. Frank lost site of that and didn’t discover his mistake until later in life.
4. I think of Paulette as an over bearing mother, and worry too much what other people think. I don’t think she made her likeable or not, just a mother that you may can relate to if you have a mother.
7. I think they are alike is that they hold a lot of emotions inside and not till the end show their true likeness.
8. This is a question I can’t answer because I don’t understand how you forgive a complete stranger before you family. Sometimes those closer to us is harder to forgive.
9. I don’t disagree with her sending Scott to St. Raphael because Gwen is very “Green” to the world and someone could have shamed her. Now I don’t agree with her trying bring her back and I would check to see if Gwen is alright, but I would let her live her life.
10. She can be herself in her own skin. She is known as the “little woman” but that’s ok.
11. He was miserable when his man left. Paulette and Frank took it well. It’s like what can you do about it …our son is gay. End of story.
14. Well I guess Billy and his partner will do fine since he really came forward about his lifestyle to his family. Scott probably needs to get tested for ADHD, and I guess he will do fine with his new girlfriend. Gwen, let’s just say who knows, the jury is still out about Rico. The guy took the $20,000 from her brother and didn’t really give her a good reason why and he didn’t try to look for her, and win her back. She just came back to him was ok; I forgive you for taking the money from my family and not trying to find and win me back.
15. There were elements of realism to it, but I had problem with the place of the story. It wasn’t until towards the end of that it got interesting and I actually care about these people
1. Besides Gwen Turner syndrome the title “the Condition might also refer to each member’s self awareness of his/her own inadequacy.
2. Gwen condition echo’s throughout the Mckotch family by placing an invisible burden on each member and in effect becomes an underlying issue for the family despite the fact that they all had issues before Gwen was diagnosed with Turner’s syndrome. For example: Frank treat’s Gwen’s condition as a scientific matter Paulette prefers to remain in denial and pretend it doesn’t exist. Scott and Billy treat it as taboo topic and choose to protect her from any scrutiny from their friends and family.
3. Frank and Paulette had marital issues way before Gwen was diagnosed with Turner’s syndrome. Gwen’s condition simply acted as a catalyst for more arguments of how either parent should approach Gwen’s situation. However, both partners are to blame for their divorce. Paulette should have been more open with Frank. Frank should have invested more quality with his wife. Billy blames his father for the divorce because he based on Paulette’s side of the story, “He couldn’t handle Gwen’s Condition. But of all the Mckotch’s I would have to say that Frank was the most sympathetic, he actually took time to understand, research and find ways to correct Gwen’s condition. Unlike Paulette Frank continued to encourage his daughter to be outgoing and to treat Gwen like a regular kid.
4. My impression of Paulette is a woman who is conservative, self conscience, prone to jealousy, stubborn, motherly, and at times co-dependent on her children. I suppose the author intended Paulette’s character to be controversial and thus unlikeable.
5. Paulette’s relationship with Donald was a relationship she always craved to have with Frank. Donald and Paulette shared a common interest in collecting antiques, communication, romance, money, attentiveness and lots of attention. However, Paulette’s relationship with Frank was more like a fuse, they were young and in love, but as life took its course they slowly began to lose that spark. Frank was too absorbed in his work and as result neglected the important duty of pleasing his wife. As for her relationship with Gil Pyle it was strictly platonic; but in Paulette’s case when in a daze of loneliness he was her ‘crush’ (temporary romantic infatuation).
6. Frank raised his children to be brilliant he did this by being the prime example of a dedicated scientist - workaholic. Paulette encouraged the children to uphold the Drew tradition by attending the schools the Drew women and Men attended. These standards and pressures affected the children’s outcome. Billy the eldest took the path pleasing both his parents – he went to traditional schools, and became successful. Scott tried to take the path outlined by his parents but instead struggled, quit college-ran away-began to live life under marijuana influence, live life on a whim and lose sight of his goals. He ends up married to a woman he doesn’t truly love, working job he hates and father children he has barely taken the time to know because he is too self-absorbed in his own misery (ADHD). Gwen started out trying to please her mother but ended up braking away and doing what she wanted to do. She ends up being a recluse employee of museum and then venturing to St. Raphael Island as a favor only to encounter a man who genuinely loves her.
7. The Mckotch children although very different do share two things in common: (1) they have something about themselves that they are ashamed of (AND FEEL INADEQUATE): Billy is homosexual and feels he can not reveal this to his family for fear of disownment. Scott is the least successful Mckotch struggles learns that he has all the symptoms of ADHD – but chooses to keep that aspect about himself private – he has enough failure in his life and doesn’t want the pity that would accompanied be the revealing his condition to his family. Gwen has Turner’s syndrome but chooses not to make a big deal about it – she instead keeps to herself and in many ways becomes standoffish with her family and peers. And (2) all the Mckotch children at some point in the story feel completely out of place. Billy is uncomfortable being intimate with a woman. Scot struggles in school (ADHD) and realizes he is not like the other students and doesn’t belong in college. Gwen’s quietly envies the girls that go through puberty and realizes the fact that she will never be able to fit in and develop like all the other girls her age.
8. “Gwen doesn’t like to hug…and says few words.” Gwen distance herself from her family physically and emotionally because it is a characteristic of her condition and preference. According to Frank, Gwen interacts with and processes the world differently. But in all actuality it appears that Gwen chooses to be this way because it is easier for her to cope with being the oddity in the family and the center of attention. Gwen chooses to forgive Rico because she loved him and I didn’t want to give up the happiness and rejuvenation she found with only him. She forgave Scott because she realized that he was a true idiot and was genuinely sorry for intervening. But, Gwen didn’t forgive her mother, Paulette, because she was devastated after realizing the vastness of Paulette’s insensitivity and underlying motive to have Scott take her back to the States. It was clear that because of Gwen’s genetic disorder, Paulette viewed her daughter as freak, undesirable and impossible to love.
9. I disagree with Paulette’s reasons to send Scott to bring Gwen home; because (1) Gwen is 34 years old not 16. (2) Billy told Paulette she seemed happy and fine when he last talked to her. (3) Billy warned his about checking up on Gwen as a bad idea. (4) If she was so concerned she should have went there herself with the intentions to assure her daughter was okay and not to bring her home.
10. Gwen refuses to return back home to the states because she has filled a void in her life. On the Island St. Raphael Gwen finds true love, companionship, her sense of self, happiness and a place and person that finally suits her.
11. Billy reveals that he’s gay to his family because Srikanth threatens to break-up with him, based on the idea that Billy is ashamed of their relationship. Billy realizes this is true but also comes to term with the revelation that he couldn’t live without Srikanth.
12. Scott realizes he’s made a lot bad decisions in life and when at the Captains house he dwells on all of them…Quit college, spent education money on piece of junk car, wasted a % of his life away under the influence of marijuana, married a woman with which he is incompatible and cheating on him with her stepbrother, he hated his job and was pleased to get fired for substance use, has children that crave his attention but doesn’t really spend time with and apparently his son has ADHD but he can’t send him away to a special school to get the help he needs because he like an idiot gave the money to Rico as a bribe to allow his sister to come home. As for the others, well…Frank showed up in place of Gwen because he realizes that being a workaholic caused him to lose all those precious years to get know and spend quality time with his family. Paulette realizes she had been petty and foolish, her family was her legacy and she wanted to preserve it as much as possible again. Billy realizes he needs to change in order to move his relationship with Srikanth forward and seal the gap he created with family. Gwen realizes that for the first time she doesn’t need her condition and her mother as a crutch instead she has finally found her way.
13. Sense of place reveals for Paulette that she likes complication, history and tradition. Billy’s reveals he likes simplicity, concise, symmetry and predictability.
14. I suppose the future is promising for these five characters: Gwen remain married to Rico and eventually interacts more with family. Frank and Paulette make amends and spend the rest of their lives together. Billy announces to everyone Srikanth will become his significant other, everyone accepts this and they live together permanently as a couple. Scott starts up his own restoration company, remarries and raises his children but shares custody with Penny. All in all they work on becoming a functional family again.
15. Jennifer Haigh’s alternation of character perspective allowed me as the reader to get a sense of who these people were and their own disposition. This helped enhance the story by giving it a pulse and making it relatable.
16. Overall I felt the Mckotch’s were presented fashionably outfitted with personality and issues. This family was believable.
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