Family—or the lack thereof—is heavy on the mind of all the main characters in Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Vera struggles with the fact that her mother left their family, while Charlie constantly worries that he'll end up like his parents. Ken Dietz is just struggling to hold his family of two together and to protect Vera from the big bad world, while haunted by his own familial past. So whether on the page of just in the shadows, family is a major player in this book.
Questions About Family
- Why does Vera fear turning out like her mother so much? Are her fears valid?
- How would you describe the relationship between Ken and Vera?
- Do you think that Charlie ever feels jealous of Vera's family? Why?
Chew on This
Vera constantly talks about how her dad is annoying, overbearing, and out of touch, but by the end we see that he understands her better than anyone else in the world.
Although both Vera and her dad worry that their family is incomplete, it turns out that Vera's mother's absence didn't leave a hole to be filled after all. They have created a stronger family unit without her.