The Last Green Valley

Adeline tries to shield Walt and Will from seeing some of the more gruesome scenes on their trek, but Emil argues that they need to “understand what one man will do to another” (65). How do Adeline and Emil’s approaches to child-rearing serve as characterization devices in the novel? Do their approaches seem to evolve as the characters evolve?

Corporal Gheorghe tells Emil, “What you seek is what you will find, but only if you hunt it with all your heart and mind” (335). How do the characters’ fates in the novel prove, disprove, or otherwise complicate Corporal Gheorghe’s thesis?

Discuss the significance of Lydia and Karoline’s experiences, particularly how they inform Adeline’s attitude when Emil is taken to Poltava. Is there merit in Lydia and Karoline’s advice to give up hope that Emil will return? Why or why not?

When Adeline, Lydia, Malia, and the boys attempt to walk to West Germany, Lydia gives up before they reach Berlin, stating, "For better, for worse, we know how it works under Stalin” (277). Many characters make a similar choice. What does the novel reveal about why some characters continue west while others remain behind?

How do you define faith in the context of the novel? In what ways does faith extend beyond a belief in God? Support your definition with analysis of specific characters and/or events.

Though Major Haussmann and Nikolas are two of the novel’s antagonists, they both have moments of humanity and/or weakness. Nikolas begs for mercy when Emil ambushes him, while Major Haussmann helps Rese in the aftermath of her accident. How does the complexity or duality of these characters shape the themes of the novel?

The novel narrates Emil and Adeline’s lives in a non-linear fashion through the use of flashbacks. How do these flashbacks shape the experience of reading the novel? How would it be different if the story were narrated chronologically?

In Chapter 9, Mrs. Kantor gives Adeline advice on how to live a long and happy life. Compare that advice to the life lessons Adeline recounts to her friend in Chapter 41. What key similarities and differences do you see between the two sets of advice? Use textual evidence to discuss what might account for the differences.