Olive's Ocean

Unpack the many layers of selflessness in Martha’s character. Talk about what changes, what stays the same, and what events alter the definition of selflessness.

What kind of young person is Martha? What characteristics best describe her, and how do these traits manifest in the novel?

What connects Martha to Olive? Does the ending suggest the relationship is over, or will Martha continue to keep Olive’s spirit in her life?

How does Martha deal with loss and death? Aside from Olive, what does Martha lose in the narrative? How do the losses impact Martha?

Jimmy Manning is influenced by Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Watch the film and draw connections between it and Jimmy’s film as it’s described in the story. How do Kubrick and Jimmy utilize jarring images? More so, how does the odious tone of Kubrick’s and Jimmy’s films foreshadow Jimmy’s noxious conduct?

Many other books for young people tackle the theme of selflessness. Read Beverly, Right Here or Harriet and the Spy and discuss the similarities between the protagonists. How does Harriet lose herself by spying? How does Beverly lose herself by running away? As with Martha, how do all three find themselves through self-abnegation?

Compare Martha to Billy Miller in The Year of Billy Miller. How do Martha and Billy each utilize literature? How does Billy’s relationship with Ms. Silver parallel Martha’s connection to Olive?

After Jimmy records the kiss, Martha runs away and thinks of how Olive would handle the situation. Martha concludes, “Olive would have quietly proceeded with her life” (154). How and why does Martha reach this verdict?