The Painted Girls, by Cathy Marie Buchanan

Characters
1878 – 1881	1895
Marie Madam van Goethem – mother Father – deceased Antoinette – older sister Charlotte – younger sister   Edgar Degas   Monsieur Lefebvre – Marie’s benefactor   Emile Abadie – convicted murderer, loved by Antoinette Michael Knobloch – convicted of murder and executed   Monsieur Zola – facial appearance can predict criminal behavior	Alphonse – Marie’s husband – baker’s son   Matilde – 8 Genevive - 9

 For discussion:

NOTE: The page numbers are from the hardback edition

1. Marie had ambition to change her lot in life.  Why was she so different from Antoinette?

2. The play, L’Assommoir, by Monsieur Zola, is about how hard work makes no difference to those who are at the lowest rungs of society.  Do you agree? 

3. Could Marie have stopped her downward spiral in 1881?   How did her appearance determine her situation?

4. Why was Antoinette obsessed with Emile?  Why couldn’t she see what was so obvious to others about his behavior and how he treated her?  Do you think she should have seen that he was exploiting her – especially after he encouraged her to earn more money by working at a brothel?

5. Did you think that Marie should have been more supportive of Antoinette and her relationship with Emile, even if Marie disagreed with Antoinette’s decisions?

6. Was Marie and her relationship with Monsiuer Lefebvre much different from Antoinette and the brothel?

7. Did you think Marie should have taken the calendar (proving Emile’s innocence) to the court or was she justified in destroying it?

8. Should Marie feel guilty about Michael Knobloch’s death?

9. After telling one last lie to Marie, Antoinette never lied again.  Do you think this is really possible?

10. What did you think of each sister’s life at the end of the story?

*****First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com and amazon.com.