JoyThrough Tears Discussion Questions
1. Identify the point of view of the narrative. Why is that choice of point of view
important to this particular narrative?
2. What context did the writer provide before the central conflict of her grand-
mother's illness? What was the role of this context information?
3. Narratives depend on very specific details. What details best helped develop the
character of the writer's grandmother? Why were those details effective?
4. What is the main point of this narrative? What other possible conflicts or
themes might the reader have focused on? How would the narrative have to be
rewritten to make that point?
5. This narrative uses very little dialogue. Would the narrative have been
improved by dialogue? Where could dialogue have been added effectively?