Solo

How does Blade’s life differ from an average teenager’s life and how does this impact him for better or for worse? In what ways does class and financial status impact Blade’s life in Hollywood versus his experience in Konko?

In what ways does Robert provide Blade with insight that others do not? Choose another character and compare their response to Blade’s adoption news to Robert’s reaction. Choose passages from the text to support your comparison.

Craft a poem like Blade, but from Chapel’s point of view after Blade discovers her with Van DeWish. Utilize at least one allusion to music in the poem, as well as to one of Solo’s themes. Provide an explanation of how the poem incorporates these elements and the choices you made while writing the poem.

How does Storm and Blade’s relationship evolve of the course of the narrative and how does the revelation reflect the novel’s themes? In what ways does Storm respond to Rutherford’s struggle with substance abuse disorder versus Blade, and why? Use quotations from the text to explain your response.

How do Blade’s descriptions of Konko compare to his descriptions of Hollywood and Los Angeles? Why do you think Blade recognizes the differences that he does? How are Blade’s descriptions influenced by the novel’s symbols and motifs?

How do the characters in the novel emulate or oppose their names and the meanings behind their names? Choose one character in the novel and research the meaning behind their name based on passages from the text as well as from a scholarly source. Does the character embody the name they’re given accurately or not? Why do you think this is and what does it say about their character development?

How does Sia’s character serve as a bridge between Blade and Rutherford? How does Sia compare to Storm? How are the girls different in their approaches to the father and son? How are they alike? Illustrate Sia’s significance with quotations from the text.

Choose a character who is not Blade and evaluate Sunny’s impact on their lives after her death. How does she continue to influence their life? How does Sunny operate as a character, even though she is never physically present? Use passages from the text to support your answer.