An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones

Characters

Roy Olive - mother Big Roy – adopted Roy Walter “Ghetto Yoda” – biological father Celestial – artist Mr. Davenport – father, inventor Gloria – mother, 2nd wife, educator Uncle Banks – lawyer Aunt Sylvia – taught Celestial to make dolls when she stayed with her after affair with professor Andre – Celestial’s childhood friend Evie and Carlos – parents Raul Gomez – Celestial’s professor at Howard, affair Tamar – Celestial’s assistant Davina Hardrick Antoine Gillory “Hopper” or “Grasshopper” - son

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from hardback edition.

1. When the business card fell out of Roy’s wallet (page 10) or the receipt for two pieces of lingerie (page 163), did you think he was innocent of having an affair?  Did Celestial over react?  Was it all right if Roy liked to flirt if he did not take it any further?
2. When Celestial was making the doll to sell to the mayor, why did she make it look like Roy?  Why did she then show it to Roy’s mother?
3. Who do you think was right when Roy and Celestial were arguing about Roy not telling that his father abandoned him and that he was adopted by Roy Jr.?
4. On page 34 when Celestial was remembering tutoring teen mothers, her supervisor implied that it was her duty to have children to counteract all of the teen mothers and their children.  Do you think this was her duty?
5. What did you think about the decision Roy and Celestial made to abort their baby because Roy was going to jail?   What would have happened if they had kept the baby?
6. When Celestial started to gain fame and won the award at the National Portrait Museum, she did not tell people that Roy was in jail because she thought it would take away from her art.  Do you agree?
7. The doll that won the award (see #6) was a likeness of Roy and Celestial dressed it in prison clothes.  She felt changing the clothing from baby clothes to prison clothes moved it from a toy to art.  Do you agree?  Why did she have to again use Roy’s image?
8. After several years Celestial told Roy that she no longer wanted to be married.  Could you understand her wishes?  Later then, when he said he did not want to see her, she accused him of being unkind because, “I can’t be exactly the way you want me to be” (page 88).  Who was being unkind?
9. Were you surprised to read that Andre loved Celestial?
10. After Roy was released and Andre came to Eloe to tell him about Andre and Celestial, Roy Sr. let Andre come knowing that Roy Jr. then would have time alone with Celestial.   Roy Sr. told Andre that he “didn’t listen to nothing but my heart” (page 222) when marrying Olive.  How is that different from what Andre was doing with Celestial?  Was Roy Sr. being fair to Andre and Celestial?
11. Why do you think Davina took in Roy the way she did right after he was released?  Were you surprised they ended up together at the end of the novel?
12. Celestial visited Olive when she was in hospice care and told her that Roy was in prison with his biological father (page 189).   Olive died two days later.   On page 189 Roy Sr. told Roy Jr. that after Celestial told her, “she gave up.”  On the other hand, on page 294, Celestial told Roy, “When she knew you weren’t by yourself, she could finally let go.”  Which explanation do you think is correct?
13. There were major themes addressed in the novel: being a strong woman; prejudice toward blacks, particularly in the court system; black culture vs. white; being falsely accused and jailed.  How important were each of these to the story?  Would the story be as effective, or more effective, if some things had been left out or switched around?
14. When Roy was talking to Andre about Walter (page 147), how did you feel about the use of the “n” word?
15. Was anyone clearly in the wrong in the story?  If so, who?  Was there anything the characters could have done better or differently?
16. Did you like the ending?   At the end, Roy shared with Celestial advice he got from Walter, “My prayer for you is peace, which is something you have to make. You can’t just have it” (page306).  How did each of the characters find peace?
17. If you liked the story, when did your interest get hooked?

*****
First Semester Success, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available as an eBook.  The paper edition will be released soon.  Click on the upper right link.