The Carnival at Bray (32 page)

1)
The Carnival at Bray
is written in third person, rather than the sardonic first person that's common in young adult now. What access does the third-person point of view allow readers that they wouldn't have known in first person? Why do you think the author made this decision?

2)
Ronnie asks Maggie a lot of age-inappropriate questions, to which Maggie responds, “I'll tell you when you're my age.” How does Uncle Kevin's way of handling this compare to Maggie's? How does Maggie learn about what it means to be an adult?

3)
Many of the characters in
The Carnival at Bray
are outsiders in some way. How does being an outsider in Ireland shape Maggie's identity? In what ways are the other characters in the novel outsiders?

4)
How does Maggie's relationship with her mother, Laura, mature over the course of the book? What does Maggie understand about Laura at the end of the book that she didn't understand at the beginning?

5)
How do the song lyrics and poems quoted throughout the novel shape your understanding of Maggie or the time in which she's living?

6)
Mental illness is explored through Eoin's mother, Mary, Uncle Kevin, and Kurt Cobain. Discuss the way the author deals with mental illness in this novel.

7)
How does Dan Sean mark the passage of time and the history of Bray in the novel?

8)
When Maggie and Eoin run away to Rome, they essentially play house. Laura is often described as doing much of the same with Colm. What do you think Maggie learns about love and relationships from her mother, and where do you think she makes an effort to do something different?

9)
How are images of the natural world (e.g., the water surrounding Bray or the Italian countryside) used to set the tone of certain scenes?

10)
When Maggie decides to travel to Rome to see Nirvana as per Uncle Kevin's instructions, Dan Sean dubs it a pilgrimage. Throughout the novel, she prays to Uncle Kevin for guidance. Discuss Maggie's faith, whether it be in religion, Cobain, love, or Kevin.