For those of you that haven't or couldn't attend book club lately, we'll be publishing the previous months' discussion questions here. I hope eventually to post discussion questions for all of the books we've covered since I took over a couple of years ago and beyond, all the way to the beginning over a decade and a half ago. It will take a while. Until then, we will be posting discussion questions on a weekly basis. Here are the questions from a 2018 title, An American Marriage. We hope these questions spark discussions of your own.
An American Marriage
by Tayari Jones
Summary:
Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.
This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.
Discussion Questions
Why is the title, An American Marriage, significant to the story? What does the title mean to you? Do you feel this title accurately represents the novel?
What about the story makes it particularly “American”?
The author wanted to write a book that took on some of the inequalities of mass incarceration and really have the issue resonate, even for readers who think, “This couldn't happen to me.” Do you think she succeeded?
Celestial and Roy write letters to each other while he’s in jail. What do these letters tell us about the characters’ relationship?
You may not have noticed that Tayari Jones does not specify the race of the woman who accuses Roy of rape. How did you picture this woman? What difference does the race of this woman make in the way you understand the novel’s storyline?
At what point did Celestial and Roy’s marriage begin to fall apart? Do you think they would have stayed together if Roy hadn’t gone to prison?
How do you think the story would have been different if Roy had been accused, but not convicted?
In her “Dear John” letter to Roy, Celestial says, “I will continue to support you, but not as your wife.” What do you think she means by this statement? Do you feel that Roy is wrong to reject her offer?
There are two father figures in Roy’s life: Big Roy is the one who shepherded him into adulthood and helped him grow into a responsible, capable person, but Walter is the one who taught Roy how to survive. Do you feel these men deserve equal credit? If not, which was the more important figure in Roy’s life and why?
When Celestial asks Roy if he would have waited for her for more than five years, he doesn’t answer her question but reminds her that, as a woman, she would not have been imprisoned in the first place. Do you feel that his response is valid, and do you think it justifies his infidelity? Do you believe that he would have remained faithful if Celestial had been the one incarcerated? Does this really matter, and if so, why?
When Roy is released from prison, he first goes to his childhood home and almost immediately makes a connection with Davina. Do you feel that given the tenuous relationship he has with Celestial—who is still legally his wife—he is cheating? Why or why not? And when Roy announces to Davina his intention to return to his wife, do you feel that her anger is justified?
Big Roy explains that he and Olive never had children of their own because Olive feared that he would not love Roy as much if he had his “own” children. Do you feel she had the authority to make that decision? And do you feel she was right in making that decision?
Were you surprised by how Celestial’s relationship with Andre developed? Which man did you think was better suited to be Celestial’s partner? Why?
Do you understand Celestial's impulse to seek companionship and love with Andre in Roy's absence, or do you think she should have stayed true to Roy no matter what?
Why do you think Celestial and Andre decide against formally marrying? Do you think that as a couple they will be good and nurturing parents? Do you feel that as a couple, they will be better at parenting than Celestial and Roy would have been? If so, why?
Do you think that Andre strategized to get Celestial to fall in love with him, or did it happen naturally? Do you feel that it was a surprise to them that it happened after all those years? Do you predict that Celestial’s parents will come to accept Andre as her life partner?
After Roy is released from prison, Celestial eventually feels she must submit to Roy because he is still her husband. Do you think she should have given the marriage more of a chance, or did you root for her to stay with Andre?
Roy is hurt when Celestial, in discussing her career as an artist, doesn’t mention him or the role he played in giving her the encouragement and freedom to follow her dreams, but Walter argues that she is justified in her silence. Do you agree? Do you think her silence is due to shame, or is she just being practical in how she presents herself to advance her career?
Celestial’s art reflects her life experiences. How does her art define her as a character? Why do you think Jones chose to make her an artist?
You can feel Roy's seething anger at the unfairness of what he's had to endure in prison and then what he has to accept on being released. Because of that, did you feel as if his rage and violence were understandable? Justified?
As you were reading, did you think that Celestial and Roy would reunite and save their marriage? Why?
Which character did you identify with most? Did having three first-person narratives help you better understand the characters’ motivations?
Toward the end of the novel, Celestial does a complete about-face and returns to Roy. What do you think her emotions were in coming to that decision? Do you feel that it was the right decision?
What are the lessons about wrongful imprisonment you are taking away from this novel? Does the novel make you want to do more to address the problem?
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