The Seed Keeper

What sacrifices do characters make in the story and why? In your response, include the answers to these follow-up questions: Do they always know they are making a sacrifice? Are the sacrifices chosen or forced upon them?

Thomas’s path is left unresolved at the end. What do you think he will do with regard to the farm, Mangenta, his mother, and the corn? Support your opinion with evidence from the text.

Rosalie is the protagonist of this story. Who or what is the antagonist? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Where is the erasure of history evident in this story? Who has erased what history, and why?

Examine the role dreams play in this story. Analyze their significance to the characters who have them.

Do you believe Gaby’s explanation about why she didn’t respond to Rosalie’s apologetic phone call about the article? Why or why not? If not, what is your explanation for the silence between these two friends? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Examine the roles the neighbors Judith and George play in the novel. What perspectives do their characters provide on issues in the story?

Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from perspectives other than Rosalie’s, including different time periods? How might the story have been different if told from only one point of view or in chronological order?