H Is For Hawk

What is it about her father’s death that makes MacDonald want to start the training of a hawk for the first time. What is in the nature of hawks that make them special?

White’s memoir of falconry is notable for being a poor guide to the subject, full of unresolved error and crashing failures. Why does it endure as a literary classic where more professional guides from the 1930s have not?

What associations does MacDonald draw between White’s undisclosed sexual orientation and the “wildness” of the hawk? Do you agree with her interpretation of White’s struggle? Support your response with evidence from the text.

Describe the significance of the naming conventions trainers adopt for their hawks and how irony plays into those conventions. What is the significance of White’s and MacDonald’s hawks’ names to their personal stories?

During the training process, how do White and MacDonald mistake both their own and their hawk’s motivations? What lessons do the trainers learn about the differences between hawks and human beings?

What connection does MacDonald make with her father’s interest in plane spotting and photography and her own interest in scholarship and falconry?

Why did birds-of-prey imagery attract Nazis such as Herman Gӧring? How is this a warning and object lesson for more humane falconers, such as White and MacDonald?

Who helps MacDonald reconcile her father’s life to her father’s death, and how does this transform her perception of her hawk? Of what value are stories and reminiscences to the living?