Harriet the Spy Essay Questions

Do you think Harriet is essentially an unkind person?

Harriet is not necessarily an unkind person, but her journal entries do make her seem a little mean-spirited. Perhaps because she has low self-esteem herself, she seems to focus on the negative aspects of everyone around her. She also uses her journal like a sister or confidante and sometimes gossip between sisters or confidantes is less than kind. Her desire to be a spy also suggests that she's interested in the things that people try to keep hidden, rather than their best selves.

Harriet's parents do not seem to know their daughter very well. Do you think this leads to Harriet being less generous in her notebook entries?

Harriet's parents do not seem to want to be particularly involved in her life, and view this as Ole Golly's role. This perceived abandonment probably makes Harriet a little angry at the world, and her alienation increases when Ole Golly leaves. Her parents are baffled by her behavior, but had they spent more time getting to know their daughter things might have gone differently.

What is the difference between the way Harriet treats her classmates in her journal and the way they treat her after they read it?

What Harriet writes in her journal is sometimes mean, but it is not intended to hurt anyone, as she meant her journal to stay private and never to be read. The way her classmates react to what she has written is bullying, because it is explicitly meant to hurt her, and it involves the entire class ganging up on her and isolating her. The difference is in the intention rather than in the actions, though the resulting feeling is the same. Though the classmates' behavior is not acceptable, it does teach Harriet an important lesson about being sensitive to other people's feelings.

Does Harriet taking Ole Golly's advice mean she has not truly grown up, and is unable to solve problems without her? Why or why not?

Although Harriet is despondent until she reads Ole Golly's letter, this does not mean that she is still reliant on her former nurse. In this letter Ole Golly treats Harriet like a friend, rather than like her young charge, and gives her advice that is meant to set her on the path toward solving this issue herself. In the end, it is Harriet who apologizes to her friends and begins turning her spying into constructive journalism, not Ole Golly. Harriet takes matters into her own hands with a little push from someone she cares about. Learning to accept advice is also part of growing up, and Harriet shows that she is able to do so.

What important things can Harriet learn from her spy route?

Harriet's spy route is made up of an eclectic group of people and families who all live extremely different lives. By learning about them and the way they live, Harriet can broaden her mind beyond her sheltered, comfortable life in a wealthy New York family and observe different kinds of experiences. Ole Golly points out that the only way Harriet will know how she herself wants to live one day is if she sees all the different ways of living, and eventually makes the decision for herself.