67 pages • 2 hours read
You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir
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Essay Topics
How do Maggie Smith’s form and structure contribute to the meaning of the text? How and why does the text resist the expectation of closure that comes with more traditional modes of storytelling?
Compare Smith’s You Could Make This Place Beautiful to Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. What is each woman’s experience with grief and loss? How does writing help both women process their experiences?
How does Smith manage and confront uncertainty? How does her need to control the future connect with her childhood?
Smith argues that life does not adhere to a traditional plot structure. How would you describe the plot structure of Smith’s memoir? In what ways does it adhere to traditional structures? In what ways does it diverge?
How does repetition play a role in the memoir? How does it contribute to the themes of the work?
What does Smith uncover as a result of her self-discovery? Is the work of self-discovery ever complete? Why or why not?
How might Smith’s husband’s choices be a result of patriarchal values in a marriage? Do these values damage him or elevate him?
Apply a feminist lens to the memoir. What are the differences between how the careers and work of Smith and her husband are perceived by themselves and others? How does this reflect societal attitudes about marriage and work?
How do the repeated chapters “The Play” contribute to the meaning of the text and an understanding of Smith’s experiences?
Define the various stages of grief and provide evidence for Smith’s process of mourning. How does she inhabit each stage of grief? What occurs to move Smith from one stage to the next?
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