The memoir opens with the image of an eight-year-old Viola running from childhood bullies. Why is this version of Viola significant in the book? Discuss the various times it recurs and how and why the memoir ends with a similar image.

Viola demonstrates a resilience of spirit and natural talent and intelligence from a very young age. Trace the different instances in which these are displayed in the early years of her life, and discuss how these instances potentially foreshadow the success she will achieve later in life.

Examine how the bond between Viola and her sisters works as a buffer against the worst impacts of the trauma they experience, individually and collectively, as they grow up.