What barriers or challenges does the neighborhood on Gibb Street face that prevent characters from finding community with one another? How do characters respond to these challenges individually, and in what ways must they respond collectively to overcome challenges? Using textual support, make an argument for which challenge or barrier is the most difficult to overcome, and explain why both individual and collective change is needed to overcome it.

In what ways does Fleischman explore stereotyping as a barrier to community building? Which characters stereotype, and which face stereotyping? What conditions are required to overcome stereotyping in the story, and what benefits do people discover when they let go of their preconceptions?

Fleischman’s novella alludes to many parables, or instructive tales. Where and how do these allusions appear? How does Fleischman change the source material? How do these allusions develop the novella’s themes?