For the inhabitants of Jellicoe Road, dredging up the past typically just leads to a lot of arguments and bad feelings. We have people whose whole families are wiped out (oh hi, Hannah), teenagers who ran away from school (Jonah Griggs, stand up please), and of course childhood feuds involving singed hair in science class (yes, Santangelo, we're talking to you).
None of these characters' issues, however, compare to those of Taylor, who has no idea where she comes from or who her family is, and who has been through so much trauma that she's actually blocking some stuff out. While discovering her past requires a painful journey for Taylor, it's the truth about her memories that ultimately sets her free.
Questions About Memory/The Past
- Hannah's teen years were super painful. If that's the case, why do you think she chooses to revisit it all by writing her book? What about the act of writing about her past might be helpful to her?
- Taylor may have forgotten a lot of details from her past, but some memories are vivid enough to continue haunting her. What memories does Taylor frequently revisit? Why are they so potent for her?
- Were you surprised to find out that Jude was the man whose shoulders Taylor was on as a child? What about how Taylor perceives him in the present makes this shocking?
- How do you think the surviving characters will deal differently with the past after the events of the book? How might they see the past differently?
Chew on This
Learning the truth about her past gives Taylor peace about the memories that have troubled her.
The structure of Hannah's book echoes the confusion Taylor feels about her own life.