Prince of Tides Discussion Questions

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Discussion Questions 1. What do you think Savannah means when she says “How many angels dropped from the womb bloomed into ugliness in springtime?” (69) Does this sentence connect to an early memory from her childhood? If so, explain. 2. Explain why you think the title of the book is called “The Prince of Tides” and how is it related to Luke? 3. What do you think Carolina Snow, the white porpoise, represented? Why do you think Pat Conroy included the story about Carolina Snow into the novel? 4. In your opinion, why do you think Henry Wingo destroys (abuses) the things he loves the most in life? 5. In the novel, it is said that Savannah's gift is being a genius and Tom’s is survival. What do you think Luke’s gift is? Give 3 reasons for each character of how they portray their gifts. 6. What does “Callanwolde” represent when it comes to the Wingo children’s childhood? 7. Do you think Tom made the right choice by leaving Lowenstein and going back to Charleston? Explain why or why not. What do you think would’ve happened if he ended up staying in New York with Lowenstein?

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8. Jokingly, Savannah says to Tom “Truth is only what you choose to remember.” (624) Do you think this statement is true or false? How can this statement be related to our everyday lives? 9. How does Amo’s religious beliefs (the cross, bibles, talking to god, etc) relate to Savannah’s hallucinations of talking to the black dogs and angels. 10. Lila claimed to both love and despise her children. Why do you think she treated her children the way she did? Do you think she could’ve helped the way she treated them? Explain why or why not?

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Works Cited Conroy, Pat. The Prince of Tides. N.p.: Bantam, 2009. Print.