61 pages • 2 hours read
Joyce McdonaldSwallowing Stones
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1997A 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
How does the novel’s structure, switching between main characters’ perspectives, help the reader understand the story from multiple angles? Are there any other characters besides the main two that are developed through this differing perspective?
Swallowing Stones was published in 1997. How does the novel reflect the teen culture of the late ’90s? Consider the media, movies, and television geared toward teenagers at that time.
What does it mean to swallow stones? How is this motif used throughout the novel to describe Michael’s struggles with his guilt and crumbling social life? Does Michael’s interpretation of what it means to swallow stones change over time?
