89 pages • 2 hours read
Mary Doria RussellThe Sparrow
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
CHAPTERS 1-7
Reading Check
1. Why does Sophia have a broker? How does this inform her motivations at this point in the novel?
2. What are the effects of Emilio’s physical injuries on his overall well-being?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Discuss at least two differences between the Emilio Sandoz of 2019 (pre-Rakhat) and the Emilio Sandoz of 2059 (post-Rakhat).
2. How does a shared love of learning and awe bring together the small crew who go to Rakhat?
3. What is the role of romantic relationships in Emilio’s life?
Paired Resource
“Roman Catholicism: Theology and Colonization”
- This open-access 2004 entry by G. Scott Davis from the Encyclopedia of Religion and War discusses the relationship between Roman Catholic missions, empire, and colonization.
- This resource connects to the novel’s themes of God’s Will Versus Human Volition and The Price for Following God.
- What context does this article lend to the prior Jesuit missions? How does it affect your understanding of the Jesuit mission to Rakhat?
CHAPTERS 8-15
Reading Check
1. What is “horizon deprivation”? Why is it significant to Emilio?
2.
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By Mary Doria Russell
