Bear

How do Sam’s experiences regarding her mother’s former boyfriend affect her? What parallels exist between Sam’s feelings about him and her feelings about the bear? Why does Elena’s experience of the bear differ from Sam’s? Use textual evidence to address this topic.

Though mentioned only tangentially, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forms the backdrop of the novel. How does this impact the novel’s characters and the central conflict?

As the Background’s literary context points out, bears are a staple in fairy tales. Research the cultural connotations of bears—in particular, the grizzly bear—to determine whether these traits are consistent with Sam’s image of the bear. Consider Indigenous American, Chinese, and early Germanic legends, for example.

How is Sam and Elena’s late grandmother important to the novel’s plot, even though she is absent? How does her character contribute to one or more of the novel’s key themes? Incorporate textual evidence in addressing this topic.

Using textual evidence, examine how the physical environment of the novel’s setting contributes to its tone and atmosphere.

Compare and contrast Ben and Danny. How does each seek to earn Sam’s trust? Use textual evidence to illustrate.

In the final chapter, Sam moves off the island to start a new life in Oregon. Though the plan she has dreamed of for years isn’t exactly the one she enacts, this moment suggests a new beginning. Based on Sam’s character and past actions, make a case for whether Sam will fulfill her goals there. What factors will be necessary to achieve those goals? How will the events of the past inform the decisions she makes going forward?

Phillips’s first novel—Disappearing Earth—also features two sisters. Compare and contrast the sisters in that novel with Elena and Sam. What parallels or distinctions about the sister bond do the two novels present?