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3. What interpretation can you draw from Brownstein’s characterization of herself when she
5
describes the death of a friend’s father from Lou Gehrig’s disease (par. 10), especially in light
of her mother’s illness?
4. Summarize what happens to the family dog, Buffy. How does the dog act as a symbol for
Brownstein’s family?
Narrative
5. Reread paragraph 19, in which Brownstein describes the fights she has with her mother. What
is the cause, and what is the effect of their conflicts? To what extent is an “older and wiser”
Brownstein commenting on her younger self in this section?
6. In fiction, a “foil” is a character whose traits shed new light on those of the protagonist. In what way
does Breanna, the girl Brownstein’s mother meets in the hospital, serve as a foil for Brownstein?
7. How does the description of the setting of the hospital in paragraph 23 help Brownstein
communicate the experience to her readers?
8. When she is in the hospital with her sister, Brownstein says that “a visitor can’t show
weakness” (par. 26). What does she mean by this, and how does it relate to her own attitude
toward her mother’s illness?
9. Reread the paragraphs in which Brownstein describes the coining ceremony (pars. 27–28).
What is revealed in this section as Brownstein compares the relationships her mother has in
the hospital with the relationships she has at home?

Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure

10. Vocabulary in Context. In paragraph 10, Brownstein uses the word gravity to describe how
she delivers bad news to her friends. Brownstein is not referring to the force that attracts
objects to the earth, but how is her use of the word here similar to the scientific definition? In
what other nonscientific contexts would her use of the word be appropriate?
11. After reading this excerpt from Brownstein’s memoir, explain the effect of her choice to start
the chapter with how she first learned and started using the word anorexia (pars. 1–2)?
12. Brownstein creates a sense of foreboding and fatalism in this excerpt, specifically when she talks
about her mother’s illness. Identify and explain her language choices that contribute to this effect.
13. The beginning and end of this narrative focuses mostly on the mother’s illness and
Brownstein’s reaction to it. But toward the middle, beginning with paragraph 12, Brownstein
includes a long section about how her parents met and some stories about her Uncle Mike
and other family members. Structurally, why might Brownstein have included these anecdotes
here? What role do they serve in the overall narrative she is telling about her and her mother?
14. While in the hospital, Brownstein says it was a “confusing time to be around so many women
whose bodies had become a sort of battleground,” and later she says the halls were filled with
“hungry ghosts” (par. 25). Analyze Brownstein’s diction and use of figurative language in this
scene and explain how her choices affect the reader.
15. What effect is achieved by the sudden ending of the chapter, and how has this ending been
foreshadowed throughout the piece?

Topics for Composing

16. Analysis. The chapter of Brownstein’s memoir included here is titled “Disappearance.”
Explain why Brownstein likely chose that title. Be sure to use evidence from several parts of
the narrative to support your response.
17. Argument. Cross-generational relationships play a large role in this narrative as Brownstein
considers what it means for young people to be friends with adults. First she becomes
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Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
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