The Memory of Things

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Memory is a complex and sometimes mysterious ability and function of the human brain. How does memory help in human development? How can memory negatively impact areas of human development such as mental health or emotional growth?

Teaching Suggestion: This question provides an opportunity to introduce the novel’s theme of The Function and Complexity of Memory. Some students may find this topic to be a sensitive one, in that memories connected to upsetting events can make it difficult to heal and recover from trauma. The connection between trauma and memory is complex; for example, individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, experience a variety of physical, mental, and emotional impacts, including temporary loss of memory. In the novel, immediately after the attack on the Twin Towers, Kyle meets a girl who cannot recall who she is; the girl’s courage in contending with difficult returning memories parallels the courage of countless individuals on and after 9/11. With consideration to the sensitive nature of the prompt, a private, individualized response may be most suitable; these and similar resources may provide additional context regarding the function of memory.

Students who would prefer an optional topic might complete a brief investigation of the location of the Brooklyn Bridge and Kyle’s neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights for geographical context.

• The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine shares “How Trauma Impacts Four Different Types of Memory.”
• The New York City government’s “9/11 Health” resource site includes mental health information.

2. On the morning of September 11, 2001, two commercial airplanes crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. These planes were hijacked by terrorists of the al Qaeda organization; al Qaeda terrorists also hijacked a plane that was used to attack the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and a plane that was intended for an attack on a fourth location (but was crashed by its hijackers in rural Somerset County, PA, when passengers and crew attempted to regain control). What was the motivation behind these attacks? How did 9/11 promote change in the US’s domestic and international policy?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question provides the opportunity to review the historical context of the novel. In the decades prior to 9/11, the US was involved in the Middle East due to both economic and political interests and in the early 1990s invaded Iraq in the Gulf War. Al Qaeda, led by Saudi Arabian leader Osama bin Laden, was an outspoken dissenter regarding US presence in the Middle East. After 9/11, the US adopted stricter domestic and international policies; the George W. Bush administration increased surveillance and enforced additional travel policies for Americans while simultaneously invading Afghanistan and Iraq. The novel begins on the morning of 9/11 as thousands of people leave lower Manhattan in the wake of the collapse of the South Tower. Depending on their background and previous knowledge of 9/11, students might briefly investigate the day’s timeline, major events, rescue efforts, and reactions from those across America and the world. For another approach, the theme of The Ephemerality of Life might be introduced by emphasizing the unexpectedness and surprise of the attacks.

• The 9/11 Memorial and Museum includes resources for students and teachers to learn about the 9/11 attacks.
• History highlights “5 Ways September 11 Changed America.”

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What does it mean to be courageous? What are some of the different types of courage, and how might people of different age groups and experiences exhibit courage?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt can help to introduce the theme of The Many Forms of Courage. In the novel, each of the main characters exhibits different forms of courage in the days after the 9/11 attacks: Kyle’s father is on the front lines at Ground Zero; Kyle takes a more active role in helping his uncle while protecting Hannah; Uncle Matt continues his fight toward rehabilitation; Hannah struggles to piece together her memories. Their actions and decisions remind readers that there is no single form of courageousness. Students might engage in brief discussion about a community or local event in which neighbors helped one another or a different historical event commonly associated with individual or group acts of courage.

Differentiation Suggestion: For an approach that involves extended literary analysis, students might choose a character from literature they consider to be courageous. What types of qualities does this character have? What courageous acts do they complete?