The Line Tender

When Fiona and Lucy notice the drawings of women on comic book covers, Fiona tells Lucy, “Real women don’t look like that” (58). Discuss how Lucy’s ideas about womanhood and about herself as a young woman change throughout the novel.

Dr. Robin Walker and Lucy’s father both tell Lucy that her artistic sensibilities have a place in scientific research. Analyze how the novel develops this idea. How does this interdependence between the two fields enhance the other themes of the novel?

In a postcard to Fred, Lucy wonders why people decide to love each other if it hurts so much to lose someone. How does the novel challenge this assumption?

This novel is set in the late 1990s. What effect does the time period have on the story? Analyze how the setting and time period influence the novel.

The Line Tender is a coming-of-age novel, a type of narrative in which the protagonist experiences physical and emotional growth associated with moving from childhood to adulthood. Choose another coming-of-age novel and compare how the two describe this teenage period. What aspects are universal? Which are specific to the characters?

There are three generations interacting with Lucy throughout the novel: the grandparents (Vern, Mr. Patterson), the parents (Maggie, Tom, Sookie), and the other teens (Fred, Lester, Fiona). Analyze how Lucy connects to these different generations. What effect does this intergenerational cast have on the story?

Analyze how the author uses written documents like Helen’s proposal and Lucy’s postcards across the story. How do they enhance and contribute to the main storyline?

Imagine that Fred could respond to Lucy’s postcards. Choose three of Lucy’s postcards and respond to them as Fred, making sure your responses represent Fred’s character and the plot of the novel.