Essay Questions

How does Jamie's view of the purpose of school and the school board's view differ?

Jamie believes that school should educate fully and roundly, and offer all sides of an issue, as well as offering a well-rounded set of solutions. The school board believes that the school should instruct its students on what the issues of importance actually are, which means that they tell them only part of the story when it comes to issues that can be contentious.

In the novel, the main issue upon which they disagree is sex education. Jamie believes that the school should accept that some students are sexually active, and educate them on safe-sex practices. The parent who is most outspoken against Jamie believes that only sex within marriage should be mentioned in a school setting - and so, like a child covering their ears and shouting "la la la I can't hear you" the school would feign obliviousness to the fact that many of its students are aware of, and having, an active pre-marital sex life.

The school board also believes that it is their job to impose their morality on the students of the school; Jamie is of the opinion that all aspects of an issue should be presented with one no more or less moral than the next, therefore giving students the ability to decide for themselves what is the right thing.

Why is Jamie so personally affected by the controversy over her editorial?

Jamie is coming to terms with her own sexuality, realizing that she is attracted to women, and trying to interpret her feelings. Learning that her feelings are not considered good enough, legitimate enough or moral enough to be mentioned in a sex education class is wounding to her, and it also makes it more difficult for her to process the feelings herself. She does not know how she feels about her own sexuality, but she does know that if she talks about it, her feelings will be frowned upon.

She is also starting to understand that the open discussion forum, and the safe space she is advocating for others to discuss their sexual preferences, is something that she very much needs for herself too.

What does the title of the book suggest, and how is its subject matter different from this suggestion?

The novel suggests that it is about the experiences of people living in dictatorships. Perhaps it could be a novel about Nazi Germany, looking specifically at the book burnings conducted by the Germans who wanted to erase any opinions that were not their own. Similarly, it could also be about something a little more modern, such as the situation faced by women in Afghanistan, where young women have their school books burned if they are discovered trying to get an education. It is not immediately obvious that the novel is set in modern America, and the "burning" that is alluded to is a metaphorical rather than a tangible one.

The novel itself ironically found itself on the banned books list, which is the civilized, modern-day version of burning a book that is considered subversive or against social norms. Jamie's editorial is similarly censored, hence the reference in the title to the burning of books.