Reminders of Him

What is gained (or lost) by the shuttling between two narrators? How do two first-person narrators impact the experience of the events? Does the format create or hinder the development of sympathy for Ledger and Kenna?

Investigate the conventional template for grief first proposed by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Next, compare Grace and Patrick and their responses to grief. In the end, why does Grace go to Kenna and give her the ring?

Research the relationship between music and emotional healing. Songs appear throughout the novel. Why does Kenna hate music initially and then embrace it at the end of the novel?

Trace the development of the relationship between Ledger and Diem. How would you assess it? Why does Ledger call off his wedding? What does Ledger’s relationship with Diem and the Landrys symbolize?

When Kenna first meets Ledger, she initially believes that she is betraying Scotty, and Ledger has similar feelings. How is their relationship and sexual connection a kind of grief therapy for the both of them?

At the center of the novel are Kenna’s more than 300 letters she has written to Scotty since his death. Using the letter from the night of the accident, argue why she has been writing to her dead lover now for more than five years. Account for why Kenna decides to share that letter with Ledger.

Kenna draws a distinction at several key moments between empathy and sympathy. Choose three characters from the novel who exemplify these emotions, and use this evidence to explain the differences between empathy and sympathy.

Prepare a character study of Diem. How does she bring together the best elements of her father and her mother? How is she like Kenna? How is she like Scotty? Why do you suppose she wants to learn fencing?