70 pages • 2 hours read
Morris GleitzmanOnce
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2005A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
What role does storytelling play in Once? How does it help Felix through the dangers and traumas he faces while searching for his parents?
The spread of Nazi ideology was facilitated through censorship, including book burning. What argument doe Once make about the importance of reading?
What is the role of Family in Once? Consider Felix’s motivation to find his parents and his acceptance of Zelda despite the fact that her parents were Nazi sympathizers.
What does the carrot represent for Felix? Why is a magic carrot a recurring symbol in the stories he tells?
Consider Felix’s unwillingness to accept the fact that something bad has happened to his parents. Is he naïve or in denial? What finally convinces them of their fate?
Examine Barney’s role in Once. Why is he willing to take risks for orphans? What is at stake for him? How does he keep them safe?
Analyze the invocations Felix make sin his prayers. What elements change throughout the novel? Why do they change?
Felix tells stories to help himself initially but begins to use them to help others early on. What affect does this have on the people around him? Why do even adults like Barney and the Nazi officer turn to Felix for his stories?
Many of the characters in the novel (particularly Felix and Barney) risk their own lives for others. Examine the role of altruism in the Once. What makes some characters risk everything for others?
