Absolution

1. General Impressions 

Objective: Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What are your overall impressions of Charlene and Tricia in Absolution? Did you find that you relate to one character more than the other, or did you find similarities to and differences from both characters?
• How does this book differ from other narratives about women's roles in the Vietnam War? Does it take more accountability or less than other Vietnam narratives you have read, like Kristin Hannah's The Women?
• Consider the book Atonement by Ian McEwan. Broadly, how do both books present seeking forgiveness by narrative means? How are they similar in their approach or message? How are they different?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Objective: Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Have you ever questioned the authenticity of or motivations for your participation in a humanitarian event or activity? If you consider these aspects of your humanitarian work now, was there any part of you that was motivated by aspects other than the cause you wanted to help?
• How did the critical nature of the friendship between Charlene and Tricia impact you? How does their relationship reflect or contrast with your relationships with women? 
• Which moments in the text made you feel tense or upset? Consider the novel’s core idea of tension surrounding events that people feel guilty about. How does it shift your perspective on your reactions to the novel?
• Have you ever traveled to a country or region that was struggling? How did this make you feel as a visitor?
• Secrets are uncovered in Charlene's manuscript by Tricia. How did this make you feel? Do you write down personal information, and what would you do if were read by a friend?
• Is there any event in your life that you would like to be forgiven for, in any large or small way? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

Objective: Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Performative humanitarianism is discussed today in media outlets. How does this book help further that conversation?
• Does the motivation behind someone’s humanitarianism matter so long as they help people? Why should someone’s beliefs align with the work that they do? Why does this matter, or why not?
• Consider a place where the US has recently had a military presence. Could you envision yourself going there as part of a relief effort or charity organization?

4. Literary Analysis 

Objective: Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How does the setting of Vietnam in the 1960s enhance the tone and mood of the text?
• Consider the epistolary structure of the novel, which is mainly told through letters from Tricia to Rainey. How does this structure affect your perspectives on Tricia and Charlene?
• Discuss the other women who appear in the novel, including Ly and Stella. How do these characters and their relationships with Charlene and Tricia inform the thematic meaning of the novel?
• Consider the ways in which the novel interrogates the Americans' presence in Vietnam through Charlene's charity work.
• Analyze the novel's exploration of pregnancy and motherhood through Charlene and Tricia's respective experiences. How do their perspectives work together to inform the novel's message about womanhood and motherhood?

5. Creative Engagement 

Objective: Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If this book were adapted into a movie, who would you cast as younger Charlene? Who would you cast as younger Tricia? 
• Create a playlist for Tricia's letters to Rainey that reflects both the mood of the letter and of the memories. What songs did you choose, and what do they tell you about your feelings toward Tricia and Charlene?

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