Weasel

Pa says, “We didn’t think much about the Shawnees and how they got pushed out to make room for us. It was just the way of things” (79). How does Pa’s quote compromise his moral standing? Why didn’t Pa and Ma “think much about the Shawnees”? Connect his quote to a contemporary example. What current belief systems allow people to ignore or not “think much about” specific kinds of human suffering?

Weasel is a work of historical fiction, so it’s based on real-life history. How does DeFelice use history to bring the story to life? Is her version of events accurate? What does she accurately depict, and what does she leave out or misrepresent? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Describe the dynamic of Ezra, Pa, Nathan, and Molly. How do they help each other, and why do they stick together? How does Ezra save Pa’s life, and how does he help Nathan and Molly? More so, how did Pa and Mama help Ezra, and how does Molly’s letter help him?

Trace the development of Nathan’s character. What kind of person is he, and how does he grow throughout the novel? Relate his character arc to the theme of Accepting Pain and Embracing Positivity. When does Nathan realize that suffering and joy can coincide? Who helps him discover this along the way?

Before the story begins, Mama is already dead. Yet Mama plays a central role in the life of Ezra and Gives-light-as-she-walks. Focus on the scene when Pa describes how Mama wanted to leave town and give Ezra and his wife a ride in the wagon. What does it show about Mama’s morals? How did she put her beliefs into action?

How does Molly contribute to the story? Consider how she helps herself and Nathan survive while they wait for Pa to come back. How does her role reflect typical expectations of femininity? Do her actions ever challenge traditional gender roles?

Discuss Ezra’s character arc. How does Ezra’s backstory reveal his transformation? Ezra tells Weasel that “he was ashamed of his white man’s blood, ashamed of what the white man […] had done” (53). How does Ezra display his shame, and how does he try to overcome it? Does his identification with the Shawnees come across as genuine or as appropriation?

What does Weasel have in common with a weasel? How do the name and the other characters dehumanize him? How do Ezra and Nathan recognize his humanity?