Summer of the Monkeys

Historical novels often show traditional gender and age roles realistic to that novel’s setting. How do the members of Jay Berry’s family fall into traditional roles for their time period and location? Are there any exceptions throughout the book? Consider secondary characters as well. Point out scenes and character descriptions that support your thoughts.

Whether Jay Berry is finished with his formal schooling or just on a summer break, he does not discuss the influence of school on his lifestyle. How does the author develop this young character without detailing his school friends, school struggles, and school days? What does Jay Berry say about the students he sees at the university and at the library in Tahlequah, and how do his words suggest how he might feel about school?

Jay Berry changes over the course of the novel as his priorities become clear; his character changes due to the impact of external events and other characters’ actions. The relationship between characters change as well. How does the relationship between Jay Berry and Daisy evolve? How does the way they interact with one another reveal their characters, and how does the way their relationship changes affect them? Cite details from scenes they share as evidence.

In fiction, animal sidekick characters can provide comic relief, serve as a sounding board for their human companion, or mirror the emotions and expressions of their human. Rowdy fits each of these roles in Summer of the Monkeys. Find at least one example of each role and explain Rowdy’s importance in the scene. Does Rowdy fit any other roles in the story? For example, to what learning experiences might he contribute, as either a teacher or student?

The overnight storm is a complication of great import. What changes take place in the narrative thanks to the storm? What might the storm represent to Jay Berry, to Daisy, and to Jimbo? What alternative path(s) might the author have chosen for his plotline without the storm?

How does the setting of the story contribute to its believability and effectiveness? How would the plot and characters’ actions be different in a modern, urban setting? How is Jay Berry’s characterization firmly connected to the rural mountain setting of the late 1800s? Provide details from the story to support your thoughts.

In many stories in which the protagonist goes on a quest or has a quest-like objective, he or she must leave their ordinary world for knowledge and experience. What knowledge is gained by Jay Berry’s two trips to Tahlequah in the story? How is each visit to the river bottoms a departure from his ordinary world, despite the proximity to his house and farm? What experience or valuable learning does he gain there?

Select a scene that would be well-told from another character’s point of view. Which scene is it and what makes it ripe for another character’s perspective? How would the narrative benefit overall if chapters or sections were told by other characters? In what ways would the story be less effective if Jay Berry shared his viewpoint?