These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

Growing up can be a struggle during any time period. What do you think it means to become an adult, and what are some of the problems that people typically struggle with as they move from childhood into adulthood? How might tragic circumstances—a war, an epidemic, a natural disaster, etc.—impact the process?

Teaching Suggestion: Use this prompt to guide students to think about Coming of Age in a Time of Tragedy. You might offer them some ideas from this Psychology Today article about the struggles adolescents typically face. This governmental health site from Victoria, Australia offers insight into the effects of traumatic circumstances on adolescents; guide students to consider how these effects might complicate the normal tasks associated with growing up. If you are comfortable, help students connect these questions to the global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 that began in 2019.

Post-Reading Analysis

Explain the message that this novel is sending about the relationship between Death and Despair and Rebirth and Hope: What lessons does Matilda learn about death? What does “rebirth” mean, and how is it related to death? What does Matilda learn about both despair and hope? How does death relate to despair, and how does rebirth relate to hope? What evidence is there in the text that tells you whether Matilda will be a stronger or weaker adult because of the lessons she learned about these things during the epidemic?