Izzy is upset Lexie used Pearl’s name at the abortion clinic and that Moody tattled to Mrs. Richardson about Pearl and Trip’s relationship. She wonders what Mia would do: “Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground and start over. After the burning, the soiler is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.” Pg 324 Bebe takes drastic measures after losing the lawsuit. She breaks into the McCulloughs and kidnaps May Ling fleeing to Canton. The investigators told her they would burn all their money before finding Bebe. Pg 330331 After Izzy sets the fire, she disappears: “Everything that had infuriated her {Mrs. Richardson} about Izzy, even before she’d taken her first breath, had been rooted in that one fear that she might lose her. And now she had.” Pg 336 Discussion Questions Shaker Heights was founded with regulation, order, and harmony in mind: On page 72, Shaker Heights is referred to as, “The first planned community, the most progressive community, the perfect place for idealists.” How have they succeeded and how have they missed the mark? Why do you think Little Fires Everywhere was set during the Clinton administration? What were the first clues you noticed regarding the stories time period? How did Shaker Heights influence Mrs. Richardson’s activism and life view? We first meet Izzy on page 75. Why do you think we meet her so far into the narrative? How does that affect the story and timeline? We encounter many unlikely friendships throughout the novel: Izzy and Deja, Lexie and Pearl, Izzy and Mia. What do you make of these unlikely friendships and what do they teach us? Mrs. Richardson views and treats Izzy differently from her other children. Mia notices the difference and thinks, “Truth be told, her mother was harsher on Izzy: always criticizing her behavior, always less patient with her mistakes and her shortcomings.” Pg 91 Discuss the relationship between Mrs. Richardson and Izzy. How did Izzy’s premature birth affect Mrs. Richardson’s actions towards her? What did you make of Bebe’s situation? Did you find yourself taking any specific side in the custody battle? How did the Clinton sex scandal influence and change the discourse about sex in America?
Little Fires Everywhere Celeste Ng Book Club Guide Discussion Questions, Quotes, Themes, Related Lin
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