World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

“Monsoon” is the only chapter in World of Wonders not titled after a living organism. Seasons also come up several times throughout the book, particularly summer. What purpose do seasons serve in Nezhukumatathil’s narrative, and how do they augment her other themes?

As a child, Nezhukumatathil is insecure and shy. Her sons, on the other hand, “unabashedly love to dance” (137). What lessons has Nezhukumatathil learned about parenting, and how does she apply them?

World of Wonders is about sharing experiences of natural wonder. Many such experiences, however, are intensely personal and nearly impossible to describe. How do personal, private experiences with nature factor in to Nezhukumatathil’s writing? How and why does she attempt to share them?

Cara cara oranges are important to Nezhukumatathil and her mother, but there are several other descriptions of food and flavor in World of Wonders. What do these dishes represent in their chapters and in the book as a whole?

The epigraph of World of Wonders is a quote from Rabindranath Tagore: “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” How do comparative lifespans lend perspective to Nezhukumatathil’s ideas and arguments? How is time compressed and expanded in World of Wonders?

World of Wonders spans several genres—it includes popular science writing, personal narrative, and some poetry. Does this mixing of styles allow Nezhukumatathil to communicate her ideas effectively? How does this combination of forms compliment the collection’s themes?

Coming in contact with the octopus and the whale shark are intense experiences that are somewhat disturbing for Nezhukumatathil. What does she learn from these encounters, how do they shape her concept of life, and what do they mean in a global, environmental context?

Toward the end of “Red-Spotted Newt,” Nezhukumatathil considers what might have convinced her to stay in Western New York, suggesting that “my immigrant parents had been preparing me to find solace in multiple terrains and hoping to create a feeling of home wherever I needed to be in this country” (143). How does Nezhukumatathil’s personal experience reflect the promises and realities of life as an immigrant or first-generation American?