Because of Winn-Dixie — Chapter 21

Narration Prompt

Summarize the chapter in no more than four sentences. Then identify the philosophical claim the chapter is making about preparation as a site of meaning, and evaluate whether DiCamillo argues for the claim or simply observes it.

Discussion Questions

1. DiCamillo uses injury-language ('swollen,' 'full') to render Opal's joy. This is a deliberate craft choice that depends on the reader recognizing the physiological overlap between intense positive and negative emotional states. Is DiCamillo making a claim about the neurological similarity of joy and pain, and does this claim fit with contemporary affective neuroscience?
2. Opal's wish 'desperately' for her mother to attend the party is the first strong return of grief in many chapters. Is DiCamillo making a specific claim about the structure of grief in bereaved children — that joy ambushes grief more sharply than sadness does — and does this claim fit with contemporary bereavement research on adolescents and children?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide