THE ARM OF THE STARFISH Readers Guide: Write

• When we go somewhere new, an immediate sense of adventure can arise. Visit a tourist destination in your town as a new comer. What do you notice? Who is around you? What colors are around you? What sounds?
• Adam compares Poly to the American Hamburger and a Milkshake in Spain- nothing like you expect it to be. Have you ever tried something with a familiar name and the results surprised you?
• What animal would you compare yourself to? What animal do you think other people would compare you to?
• When Poly runs to Archangelo for help, Adam tries weakly to deter and gives in. He acknowledges the predicament he is in. Have you ever been in a situation where understanding what is right and what is wrong is difficult?
• Adam admires Joshua’s room. He notices the smells, the colors, and the contents of the small space. Go to a space that you feel connected to and write a list of the details that stand out in the room. pg 79- 80
• On clarity: “That’s the way things come clear. All of a sudden. And then you realize how obvious they’ve been all along.” Think about life’s moments of clarity- figuring out an equation, realizing a relationship wasn’t what is seemed at first, learning a new instrument, etc., and write about that revelation
• Adam feels at ease in the lab. He brings back the images of ruthless spiders and teddy bears as metaphors for confusion. The lab takes him away from this and rests his mind in what Adam can understand.Write about a place or activity that gives you this sense of security.
• Adam feels a sense of relief when he tells Joshua and Dr. O’Keefe the truth about Lisbon.Write about a time when you experienced a similar kind of relief.
• Adam’s instincts tell him not to reveal the truth about the shark incident to Kali. He is beginning to trust his instincts and have a firm grasp on who he is. Do you follow your instincts? When have they led you in the right (or wrong) direction? pg, 166
• Did you expect the novel to end this way? Do you feel the ending does the moral dilemmas presented in the book and Adam’s journey justice? Make up an alternate ending in order to analyze L’Engle’s intentions for the ending.