36 pages • 1 hour read

I Am David

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1963

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

What does David’s shock at the beauty of the Italian people and landscape reveal about life in the camp?

Describe the important turning point when David observes the beauty of the Italian coast.

What do David’s eyes reveal about his past?

What does Holm suggest about the power of believing in God?

How is beauty presented as an inspiring and redemptive force?

Comment on the symbolism of cleanliness. Why is washing a profoundly cathartic act for David?

How does David change and develop through the course of the novel? Which events or individuals inspire this change?

In your opinion, what is the most important lesson David learns on his journey?

Once David experiences the luxury of the family’s home in Northern Italy, he is less satisfied with life on the road. What does Holm suggest about material possessions?

10.

What prompts David to reassess his classification of Carlo as unequivocally evil?