Lucky Broken Girl

The author, Ruth Behar, uses section and chapter titles to introduce and emphasize events in Ruthie’s story. Choose three section or chapter names to discuss; select ones that preview the events of the chapter particularly well. Discuss the events of each chapter briefly, offering two or three ways in which each reflects its title.

Chicho inspires Ruthie to learn to paint, Joy provides school lessons, and Amara convinces Ruthie she can walk on crutches. In addition to these three mentors, what other characters serve as guides or role models to Ruthie in her healing journey? Choose two or three figures who teach or guide Ruthie in some way and detail their influence based on textual evidence.

Revisit the scenes in which Behar describes the accident and hospital. What figurative language and imagery help the reader to visualize those scenes? List four or five examples. In what way(s) does Ruthie’s view of the hospital change over time? Point out useful quotations to support your thinking.

In what ways does the setting of Ruthie’s apartment building represent a sense of community and unity? In what scenes is this apparent? Discuss two or three such scenes; what details can you find in the text to show an atmosphere of community?

Some stories have no clear antagonist, yet almost all stories contain clear conflict. Who or what is Ruthie’s biggest adversary in the story? How do Ruthie’s reactions to this adversarial force paint a clearer picture of her? What additional smaller conflicts in her journey does Ruthie face, and how do these challenges help to characterize her?

The author sprinkles references to historical people, places, and events throughout the novel, such as Joy’s lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What are three or four other allusions to historical details or events in the novel? In what way or ways does each serve to flavor the setting or contribute to the plot or a theme?

How do family dynamics (the ways in which family members interact with one another) change over the course of the book? What relationships develop as a result of Ruthie’s bedridden state? Be certain to address the relationship between Mami and Ruthie in your response, as well as one other family relationship. Use evidence from the book to support your ideas.

The point of view of Lucky Broken Girl is first person; the narrative unfolds through Ruthie’s interior monologue and her dialogue with others. How does the way Ruthie tells the story contribute to her characterization? Compose a list of three to five traits revealed though Ruthie’s storytelling voice and find specific examples to support each one.