Little+Bee

by Chris Cleave

Discussion Time: 2B January 13 7:55-9:25

Group Members Caitlin C Ande P Amelia G Patrick S Jocelyn D Julia B Laurel H Susan G* Jeri E* Lynn H*

Cover Art:



Opener: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Caution!!! It is likely that the following questions will reveal, or at least allude to, key plot details. Therefore, if you haven’t yet read this book, but are planning on doing so, you may wish to proceed with caution to avoid spoiling your later enjoyment." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< • Introduce the members of the book discussion • Overall opinion of the book - did you enjoy reading the book? =---=

Clarifying Questions:

General Questions: **• Will Little Bee eventually be safe?** **• What is Little Bee scared of most in her country?** **• Little Bee talks a lot about how she would explain things to the "girls back home". Would she shine a positive or negative light on England?** **• Is England's policy about detaining refugees in a detention center just?** **• Would the same situation in the detention center happen to a man?** **• Do you think Little Bee is happy to be out of her country, or does she miss home despite it's dangers?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Do you think Sarah and Andrews relationship would have lasted even if they didn't go on this vacation?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Do you think it was smart for Sarah to bring her son on the trip to Africa?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Did you like the narration change every chapter?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• What are "Baddies" supposed to represent?**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• What does Weh mean? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• Why do you think the European title is //The Other Hand//? **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Little Bee related Questions: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Why did Little Bee feel she must always know how she could kill herself?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Should Little Bee have called the O'Rourkes?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Should Little Bee have run away with the girls once she knew she was illegal?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• What is the significance of Little Bee's real name and why did she feel she must tell it to Charlie?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Is Little Bee's name significant to who she is?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Why does Little Bee say that a little bottle of red nail polish saved her life?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Was there anything Little Bee could have done or said that would have helped her avoid suspicion by the police officer?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Do you think Little Bee is symbolic of all immigrants or is her story a unique one?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Was London Sunshine a fitting name for Bee when she tried at first to run away in England?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Can you relate to Little Bee in anyway?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Do you think Little Bee was the "rock" for Sarah?**

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Andrew related Questions: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Did Andrew make a mistake by not cutting off his finger?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Is Little Bee partially responsible for Andrew's death?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Could Little Bee have done anything to save Andrew?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• How does Little Bee feel about her sister's death compared to Andrew's?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Do you think Sarah should have done something or noticed earlier that Andrew was getting more and more depressed?**

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sarah related Questions: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Is Lawrence a positive or negative person in Sarah's life?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Could Sarah have done anything to help Andrew, or was his fate sealed when he didn't cut off his finger?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• What would you have done if you were in Sarah's situation?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Do you think Sarah was able to keep control of her life after Andrew's death and Little Bee's arrival?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Do you think she is a good mother?**

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ending Questions: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">**• Is the ending supposed to be depressing or hopeful?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> **• Was going to the beach to say goodbye to Nkiruka a poor choice?** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> **• What is the climax of the novel?**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• Did you like the ending? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• Why does Charlie take off his Batman costume in the closing scene? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• Why did Chris Cleave write Little Bee to be captured by the soldiers when she went back to Nigeria at the end of the novel? What did it add to the story? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• In your opinion what do you think happened to Sarah, Charlie and Little Bee? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">• How does this story relate to society in America and in the World today? **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Characters:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • Little Bee **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • Kindness **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • Sarah O' Rourke **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • Andrew O' Rourke **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • Charlie O' Rourke **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • Lawrence **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Nkiruka **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Yevette **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">• the girl with the yellow Sari **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">• the guard **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">• the "hunter" **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Other unnamed Characters:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • "I will shoot if you don't stop following" **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • "The oil company's men" **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Narration:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> • The use of "you"... Talking directly to the reader **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">• What is the difference between Sarah's narration and Little Bee's? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">• Who's narration did you enjoy more Sarah or Little Bee? **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Setting: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">• present-day England ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">• present-day Nigeria ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">• Do you think this story could be applied to America? How? **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Themes/Motifs: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">• Sarah's finger **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">• Charlie's Batman costume **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">• The different Names Little Bee had **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">• Baddies **

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Style of writing:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> • //Use of Italics//
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Significant Passages: ==<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">• "This policeman, if he opened the door of the police car and made me get inside, then to him it was only the inside of a car he was showing me. But I would see things he could not see in it. I would see the bright red dust on the seats...old dried cassava tops that had blown into the foot wells...the white skull on the dashboard and the jungle plants growing through the rusted cracks in the floor and bursting through the broken windscreen. For me, that car door would swing open and I would step out of England and straight back into the troubles of my country." (241) ==

==<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">• "For one hour you are haunted, and you do not trust anybody, and then the feeling fades away. Horror in your country is something you take a dose of to remind yourself that you are not suffering from it." (45) ==

==<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">• "My troubles will find me very easily in this town of stone and iron if I keep my foolish name that I chose at the edge of the jungle. So I will take a name that suits this city instead. I will blend in and I will wear a bright smile and colorful clothes and I will forget all about Charlie and Sarah and Lawrence and Andrew. With my new name, I will not even belong in Little Bee's story anymore." (220) ==

==<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">•"After a hundred sleepless nights I had finished working out how to kill myself in every single corner of the detention center and the country outside, but I still carried on imagining."(48) ==

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">•"In the most beautiful places I secretly lingered over the act."(48)
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Outside Links

<span style="background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Chris Cleave Q and A]

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">[|Chris Cleave Interview] <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">[|Little Bee, the Movie]

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">