50 pages • 1 hour read
Oscar HokeahCalling for a Blanket Dance
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Discuss the theme of Generational Trauma. How does this text represent the way that trauma is inherited?
How does this text suggest the possibility of healing from generational trauma?
Discuss the motif of Violence. What is violence a symptom of in the novel, and how do these characters overcome their rage?
Discuss the theme of Resilience in the Face of Systemic Oppression. Where do these characters find strength and resilience?
Discuss the theme of Identity Development. How does Ever find a strong sense of self? How do the many narrators inform the novel’s view on identity and the self?
How does Ever help others heal? What role does youth work play in his characterization throughout the course of the novel?
What is the role of community in this text? In what ways does Ever’s community remain strong? How is community implicitly or explicitly defined within the novel? How might this definition vary from other definitions of community?
Discuss the symbolization of ceremonial regalia. What role does it play in resilience and healing in the novel? How is it tied to communal identity-making?
Discuss the symbolization of broken toys. What do they represent? How is the innocence of childhood framed through the use of toys within the narrative?
Discuss the novel’s conclusion. What impact does ending on a hopeful note have on the narrative? How would the novel’s themes and arguments change if the novel had a negative ending?
