The Longest Memory
Essay Prompts
The Longest Memory portrays a world in which hope is rarely realised. Discuss.
Despite being related, Whitechapel and Chapel rarely feel connected. Discuss.
To what extent does D’Aguiar show that each generation changes?
In what ways are the women in The Longest Memory more insightful than the men?
Chapel uses an allusion to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet when he states that he and Lydia are ‘star-crossed’ lovers. Discuss.
The different views of slave-holding integrate social, physical and spiritual components. Discuss.
How does Whitechapel’s life reflect the larger struggles of the slaves?
‘Memory is pain trying to resurrect itself.’ How does Aguiar construct the concept of memory?
Relationships formed in the midst of slavery are inherently fragile. Discuss.
A fundamental conflict of the novel arises from the contradiction between characters’ differing conceptions of a meaningful life. Discuss.