A Bottle in the Gaza Sea

Both Tal and Naïm demonstrate a willingness to flout the rules, question religious law, defy authority figures such as teachers and soldiers. What has caused them to question the generations who came before them, and to what extent does this represent The Complexities of Identity and Belonging in a Divided Society? Choose a specific passage from the novel and explain how it conveys this theme.

Examine a figure from ancient or religious history alluded to in the novel. Discuss the significance of this allusion to the text and analyze its relationship to thematic or character development.

In their first emails to one another, Tal offers hope while Naïm offers despair. In what ways do the stories they share with one another develop these perspectives, and in what ways is each character’s outlook changed by the end of the novel? Discuss how these shifts develop the theme of The Power of Storytelling and Communication and/or the theme of Hope Versus Despair.

The emails between Tal and Naïm are formatted to include a “Subject” line in each. Perform a close read of the subject lines in two or more chapters and discuss how they develop the reader’s expectations and understanding of each email’s message and tone.

How does the style choice of diary entries create opportunities to develop plot and characterization? What is the significance of the thoughts the characters keep from one another, and why are they significant to the text?

Examine and discuss the significance of references to small, wild animals in the novel (i.e., birds, squirrels, fish). What ideas about life do these animals symbolize, and how do they connect to the novel’s themes and characters?

What is the significance of Naïm’s proposal that they meet at the Trevi Fountain as a reminder of the film Roman Holiday? Based on the allusion and surrounding context of the novel, make and support a claim about whether the novel has a happy ending, and whether Tal and Naïm will ever meet again.

Explore current events in Israel and Gaza, more than two decades after the novel is set. Analyze the text through a contemporary contextual lens. How is this different from the novel’s historical context, and how do recent events impact or alter your reading of it?