Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why does Dillard choose to structure the book by season? Why does she begin and end with winter, and begin the via negativa with summer?
- What is it about muskrats that makes Dillard willing to sit still for hours to see them? Is the fact that she has to sit still part of why they're compelling?
- Which way of seeing God makes more sense to you—the via positiva or the via negativa?
- What causes Dillard to feel like "a freak" among other humans?
- Is nature really monstrous? Are some animals more monstrous than others?
- Is it possible to really see and take photographs?
- Would Pilgrim at Tinker Creek be easier to read if Dillard had imposed a plot? Does plot require more than one character?
- Why does Dillard choose to focus more on bugs than any other creatures?