IANNUZZI Swallowing Stones

What are the four concepts represented by the Ghost Tree?

1) Confronting our fears 2) healing 3) ancestors/family members 4) a rite of passage/growing up

Bildungsroman

A coming of age story wherein a character is forced to grow up or he or she will suffer. Michael must take responsibility for his actions (the killing of Charlie Ward) which is the mature thing to do; otherwise, he will continue to suffer (with guilt and the fear of being caught) as he attempts to cover up what he's done.

Who comes to Jenna's rescue at the movie theater?

Amy Ruggerio

How does Amy help Jenna grieve? Why is it awkward?

Amy writes a letter to Jenna which shows how she felt when her parents died. The letter helps Jenna cry. It is awkward because Jenna hardly knows Amy and what she does know about her is her bad reputation.

Who is Jenna's best friend?

Andrea

Symbolism of the dragonflies.

Charlie is watching over Jenna; they represent our dreams, the truth, hiding the truth, our ancestors and the connection between the afterlife and the earthly world.

What two things does Jenna do to cope with the loss of her father? Why?

Clean her room and complete math problems. It keeps things predictable and there is always an answer. She doesn't know the answer to who killed her father, but she can figure out the answers to her math equations.

Why does Joe get fired from his job?

He is caught drinking

Symbolism of Michael's sitting on the church steps.

He is searching for forgiveness.

How is Charlie Ward killed?

He is shot in the head while fixing the roof

Symbolism of Michael painting over the graffiti.

He is trying to cover up his guilt in the shooting of Charlie Ward.

Symbolism of the little league player.

He represents Michael in that he is tagged out just as he slides into first base, and Michael was caught by the police just as he was beginning to think he was safe and would not be caught.

Why does Michael want to break up with Darcy?

He wants to be alone

Describe the sub-conscious motif.

Jenna figures out who shot her father and Amy's witnessing of it through her dreams; Jenna is having panic attacks because her sub-conscious is trying to remind her that she was on the phone with Jason when Charlie was shot, even though her waking mind does not recall this; Michael is drawing attention to himself without realizing it: 1) by sitting on the church steps, looking for forgiveness and 2) by weeding the flowerbeds and cleaning out the gutters.

What game show does Josh watch every night?

Jeopardy!

Who does Michael make a pact with to hide the truth?

Joe Sadowski

Who is with Michael when he fires off his rifle?

Joe Sadowski

What do images of light and darkness represent in the novel?

Light represents the truth and hope. Darkness represents lies and not knowing the truth. Michael and Amy are often depicted in the light because they know and hold the truth. Jenna is "in the dark" about the identity of her father's killer.

Who has been secretly weeding the flower beds and cleaning the gutters of the Ward house?

Michael

What is the collision motif?

Michael first thinks about this when he watches bats flying around and not colliding with each other. He thinks humans can't seem to master the art of avoiding collision: we are too messy, we can't seem to avoid getting mixed up with each other, and sometimes we messed up each other's lives. When the car accident occurs and when Joe shatters the windshield, it is an example of this motif as well as the shattering of so many lives due to the shooting of Charlie Ward.

What is the significance of the title Swallowing Stones?

Michael's guilt is the stone he must swallow, much like the girl who choked to death on a stone. She most likely panicked and choked on the stone. Michael thinks she could have survived if she had remained calm and swallowed the stone instead. Michael thinks that if he doesn't panic, he can swallow the stone of his guilt. It will tear his gut apart, but he will survive and have a future.

What happens to Jenna when she is around Jason?

She has panic attacks

Symbolism of the water stain Jenna paints over on her ceiling.

She has to deal with her father's death or it will continue to creep into her mind like the water stain that won't be hidden with paint. It is caused by the leak Jenna's father was fixing when he died.

Symbolism of the tornado.

Tears the town apart as the police visit tears Michael's hope apart.

What happened to Amy's mother and father?

They died in a car accident

What are seen hovering over Jenna's lawn?

dragonflies

Darcy thinks that Michael wants to break up with her because...

he is cheating on her with Amy

Who does Amy live with?

her grandfather (Pappy)

What is the "stone" that Michael must "swallow?"

his guilt

Jenna's mother decides to donate some of Charlie's things to charity. What does Jenna decide to keep?

his tools

After her father's death, Jenna's relationship with her mom...

improves

What does Jenna do when she is stressed?

math problems

How old is Michael turning at the novel's start?

seventeen

How would you describe Michael's father?

supportive

Where does Michael's mom work?

the florist

Where does Michael tell Joe about the police suspicions of him?

the swamp

When Michael hears of Charlie Ward's death he...

throws up

What team is Michael on?

track

When the police first come to his house, Michael says the gun...

was stolen