The Last Runaway

What does the novel suggest are the limits to what one should offer to one’s political commitments? Consider this question via the perspectives of different characters (for example, Jack versus Judith or Mrs. Reed versus Honor).

Are Honor’s letters reliable? Pick one or two letters and identify quotes that indicate how Honor’s description of her own life is (or is not) colored by her opinions or perspectives.

Does the novel present Honor’s silence as having a tangible effect? Argue why or what not (and what effect it has, if any, and upon whom) using evidence from the text.

Analyze how loss affects a certain character in the novel. Cite the specifics of that loss (of another person, of a relationship, of a place) and how it affects their motivations.

Honor’s body goes through many changes in the novel. She gets violently seasick, suffers from ague, gets strong from milking cows, becomes pregnant, and gives birth. Argue how at least one of these physical changes parallels her mental or emotional changes in that portion of the text.

Is knowledge gendered in the novel? In your argument, consider characters like Judith, Thomas, and Abigail. What is the role of knowledge that “belongs” predominantly to any one gender? Use details from the text to orient your analysis.

Evaluate how Honor does or does not dismantle her racist ideologies over the course of the novel. Use this evaluation to argue what the novel claims about the position of racism in the overall culture of America.

Does the novel suggest that one person can make a difference? Argue why or why not using details from the text.