7/27/2019 Reading Group Questions for Elianne by Judy Nunn

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7/27/2019 Reading Group Questions for Elianne by Judy Nunn

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 ELIANNEby Judy Nunn

Format: Trade PaperbackISBN: 9781742758381Imprint: William Heinemann AustraliaReleased 1 November 2013

Reading Group Questions

•  Early in Elianne we see the struggles of the sugar cane industry to enter the modern, mechanisedage. What other seismic shifts within society can you identify? Which characters are best equippedto handle that shift; which are worst?

•  The Elianne estate is a massive self-contained, self-reliant community. How does this sense ofcommunity change over the course of the novel, and what does this change suggest about thenature of family, relationships and society as a whole?

•  Who was your favourite character and why?

•  The Durham family has a perception of itself that is at odds with its reality. Discuss the themes ofself-delusion and ignorance in the novel and the ways in which the truth of the past rises to thesurface. What is the role of letter-writing and diarising in this search for truth and authenticity?

•  Elianne is a conversation between the generations. What are the pressure points where thisconversation breaks down? In what ways do generations connect in a meaningful way? How doesStan handle Kate’s evolution into a modern woman?

•  Similarly, compare the lives of Elianne and her great-granddaughter Kate. How far had womencome in the seventy-year gap between them?

•  Discuss the themes of race and racism within the novel? How are these themes furthered throughthe plight of the Kanakas, Neil’s experiences in Vietnam, Alan’s marriage to Paola and Ellie’srelationship with Pavi and Mela? In what ways does the novel show Australia’s evolution into amore contemporary and tolerant society?

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  How might Stan’s downfall have been avoided? Was the destruction of the house and his legacyinevitable? What elements of the Durham legacy will endure?

•  In what ways do readers think that Kate's discovery of the past may have affected her activism andher devotion to the many human rights causes she embraces, like Aboriginal rights and feminism?

Reading Group Questions fo r Elianne by Judy Nunn  Available in bookshops and ebook retailers 1 November 2013

Elianne: Print ISBN: 9781742758381 | ebook ISBN: 9781742758404Imprint: William Heinemann Australia | Publisher: Random House Australia

Copyright © Judy Nunn 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.