Whispering Minds (31 page)
4. Granny, Clarence and Travis go to great lengths to let Gemi cope with the tragedies in her own way—by suppressing the memories altogether. Were their good intentions misguided or should they have forced Gemi to face her blocked childhood? Why?
5. How did their interactions with Gemi affect her mental health?
6. Often in life, we assess others through our own experiences and see them the way we want to see them, not necessarily the way they are. Which characters, if any, knew about Gemi’s multiple personality disorder? Does knowing or even strongly suspecting that somebody needs help—whether from abuse, drug use, mental health, etc—put responsibility onto our shoulders? Explain.
7. Some readers are appalled by Collin’s unethical behavior. While he represents an extreme case of unprofessionalism and criminality, his part in the story highlights the vulnerability of certain populations. What other elements of this story can be particularly damaging to those with emotional and social vulnerabilities?
8. When does Gemi understand for the first time that she has multiple personalities, and how does she deal with it?
9. Near the end, Gemi says, “There was nothing wrong with me. I was a whole person made up of separate parts. Psychologists called it the id, ego and super ego. They named emotions and called them Fear, Hate, Love and Compassion. I called them by different names.” Is her assessment that we all have different alters to a certain degree right? If so, how might they manifest in real life?
10. The ending is ambiguous as to Jimmy. Some believe he is alive, while others are relieved he’s dead. What do you think?
11. Utopia is the concept of a perfect world. Gemi argues that Utopia is impossible to achieve because one person’s happiness often impinges on another’s. Is it possible to balance the wants, needs and beliefs of everyone ever, or is Miss America’s dream of world peace impossible on even the smallest of scales? And more to the point, how can we live in an imperfect world and still find happiness?
Coming in 2014
Winter's Regret
Final Volume in the Seasons Anthologies
Table of Contents