The Ogress and the Orphans

Consider Myron and Bartleby’s debate in Chapter 14. Do you think intention or results matter more in terms of kindness, and why? If intentions matter more, how does intent change an act of kindness? If results matter more, can intention affect those results? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

In the story world of The Ogress and the Orphans, there is a book and stone that know all stories and how each ends. If you had access to either this book or stone, would you read about the rest of your life? Why or why not? If so, what would you hope to learn? If not, why do you think not knowing would be better? Either way, how might this decision and your following actions change you?

Choose four of the main orphans (Anthea, Bartleby, Cass, and Elijah). Compare and contrast their views on the world. What are the benefits and drawbacks to these views? What did you learn from each of these characters? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Barnhill was inspired to write The Ogress and the Orphans by the Trump administration and its aftermath, as well as the outpouring of support following George Floyd’s murder. Do you see elements of these real-life events in the story? Why or why not? If so, do you think Barnhill handled these elements well? If not, what could have Barnhill done differently to incorporate these events?

Why do you think Barnhill chose to offer so many animal perspectives in The Ogress and the Orphans? What did these perspectives add to the story? Did you find that these perspectives enhanced your reading experience? Why or why not? If so, how? If not, why, and would removing the animal perspectives have helped your reading experience?

What lessons about combating misinformation can be drawn from The Ogress and the Orphans to be applied in real life? How would you implement these lessons to make facts more accessible to more people? How would you approach people who believe “alternative facts” to make them understand that alternative facts are not the truth?

Did you figure out that the stone was the narrator before it was revealed in the final chapter? If so, what hints gave this away? If not, what could have Barnhill done differently to make it clearer earlier on? Do you think she intended for there to be hints that made the narrator’s identity clear before the reveal? How did not knowing the identity of the narrator affect your reading experience?

Define loveliness. According to your definition, do you think Stone-in-the-Glen was lovely before the Library burned? Why or why not? According to your definition, is the town lovely at the book’s end? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the text.