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Gravity Brings Me Down
A story bout self-discovery, acceptance, and finding friendship — all in the places you’d least expect.
Sioux Smith is sharp, funny, and wry, and is pretty certain that she sees the world of high school differently from everyone else — a belief that is cemented when she makes an uneasy discovery about one of her school’s “popular” teachers. And while she feels alone at her high school and in her unique slant on small-town life, Sioux finds a kindred spirit in the most unlikely of people: an elderly stranger, who has more insight despite her progressing dementia than anyone else in Sioux’s life. What Sioux and “Miss Marple” learn about each other over tea, illicitly secreted wine, and Coronation Street, makes for a novel with heart.
Sioux Smith is sharp, funny, and wry, and is pretty certain that she sees the world of high school differently from everyone else — a belief that is cemented when she makes an uneasy discovery about one of her school’s “popular” teachers. And while she feels alone at her high school and in her unique slant on small-town life, Sioux finds a kindred spirit in the most unlikely of people: an elderly stranger, who has more insight despite her progressing dementia than anyone else in Sioux’s life. What Sioux and “Miss Marple” learn about each other over tea, illicitly secreted wine, and Coronation Street, makes for a novel with heart.
Discussion questions:
- Do you think you could ever have a relationship with an elderly person like the one that Sioux developed? What was it about "Miss Marple" that Sioux found irresistable?
- This book has been touted as a "book of self discovery". After reading this book, what, if anything, did you learn about yourself that you never knew about yourself before?
It would be pretty difficult to create a relationship like Sioux did because in the generation that we live in, it is way different than the way that the elderly lived in. But if we did get the chance to become a good friend with some of the elderly you might find out some things about yourself that you didn't know before. You may even grow to know the person very well. These people were also once upon a time teenagers so if you have a problem that you feel you can't tell your friends about, tell an elderly person that you trust about it and chances are that they have experienced the same thing and they might even be able to give you advice.
ReplyDeleteWhat Sioux couldn't resist about "Miss Marple" was that she was abandoned by her family and she was attracted to her because Miss Marple thought that she was her daughter "Marie". she was starting to feel kind of responsible for her, and than realizes that she can talk to "Miss Marple" freely and about things that she couldn't talk to other people about as easily.
After reading this book, I realized that every person has the ability to live happily, you just have to find the right friends and believe in yourself as well showing respect to yourself and everyone around you, especially your elders. And if you help other people out, you realize what kind of happy feeling you can get from those simple actions.
Do you think you could ever have a relationship with an elderly person like the one that Sioux developed? What was it about "Miss Marple" that Sioux found irresistable?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Age really is a number, it's similar world views and opinions that pull people together. Miss Marple was appealing because she displayed understanding, in her lucid moments at least. Understanding was something that Sioux seemed to need, as she was a little lost at the time. She got very caught up in taking care of Miss Marple, because she was doing some good, and it was also something she felt she could have a little control over.
-Jennifer Fogg
even though i find myself to be a more reserved person, i probably would be able to have a relationship like sioux. I wouldn't be able to leave her standing by herself anywhere when she can't do anything on her own, and her family does not take care of her.
ReplyDeletethe thing that Sioux found irrisistable about miss Marple was that she was so open, and welcoming, that even though (in the end) she thinks she knew Sioux wasn't really her daughter, she still treated her like her own, and so Sioux took on the responsibility of this woman. even though her friend was skeptical and judgemental, she still helped her in any way she could.
After reading this book, i would like to think that i am siilar in character to Sioux. She is very blunt, speaks her mind, and is not affected by what others think of her. I think i am more open than i think i am.
-Julia
I don't think that I would be able to have a relationship with an elderly person in the same way that Sioux did. It takes me a very long time to develop friendships with people my own age, let alone an elderly person who has had such a drastically different life experience from my own. I don't think that we would have enough in common. Initially, I think that Sioux felt that she owed Miss Marple for detracting the attention from her when she was doing her research for her project on suicide. However, after she visited her and saw the state she was living in and realized that she was alone and senile, she felt somewhat responsible for Miss Marple's well-being because she had no one else to care for her. I think Sioux also liked the fact that Miss Marple cared about her, even if she believed that she was her daughter and she enjoyed the feeling of being wanted and needed by Miss Marple. On another note, the scene at the end when they take Miss Marple to the city reminded me of Paul Zindel's, The Pigman
ReplyDelete