September 2017 - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

Meeting Details:

We're getting together at Danielle's house on Thursday, September 7th at 7:30 pm, with discussion to begin at 8 pm.

Discussion Questions:
1. Did you like the book? Why or why not?

2. What is Miss Brodie's "prime"? What does she mean by the term and why is it so significant—she announces it to her class and refers to it time and again? It also brought up in the last line of the book.

3. Do we ever learn why she selects the particular girls she does as her Brodie girls? Talk about the girls, their relationships with one another, and their relationship with the school. Are they individuals...or conformists?

4. What is Miss Brodie's purpose in creating the Brodie set? Is it purely educational...or something else? What does she want for (or from) them? In what ways, if at all, does the Brodie set change over the years? Do the girls alter their feelings for Miss Brodie by the time their schooling ends?

5. What do you think of Miss MacKay, the headmistress, who continually attempts to undermine Miss Brodie? At the end, she says to Sandy, "I'm afraid she put ideas into your young heads." Why has that bothered her for so many years? Is that not precisely what education is about, at least Miss MacKay's own philosophy of teaching? Is Miss MacKay a watchful headmistress doing her job? Or is she inhibiting a vibrant, creative teacher?

6. We know Miss Brodie only through the eyes of the girls, primarily Sandy. How does their perception of her change by the time they are 17 years of age...and also when they are even older?

7. Muriel Spark wrote with a great deal of wit, and her humor is particularly evident in this novel because we view the adult world through the eyes of innocents. What are some of the sections you find particularly funny?

8. Is Miss Brodie a good person? Is she a good teacher? Try, in fact, to explain the enigma that is Miss Jean Brodie? What, for instance, is her background—do we ever find out?

9. What about Teddy Lloyd and Gordon Lowther, Miss Brodie's two love interests? What does she want with them? She refuses Lowther's entreaties to marry her—why? And more mysteriously, she encourages Rose to have an affair with Lloyd—why, again?

10. When she is finally betrayed, was the one who did so right or wrong? What prompted the girl tell Miss MacKay what she told her? Was it a betrayal?

11. In the final analysis, how do you come to think of Miss Brodie? Is she a noble figure? A tragic one? A visionary? Is she silly? Is she dangerous or well-meaning? What impact did she have on her girls, lasting or short-term?

12. Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?

(Questions 2-11 by LitLovers.)

Menu: "A Scottish Tea at Twilight"

Let's sit in the twilight, either on the carpet like Sandy and Jenny or on my couches, and discuss Miss Jean Brodie and her girls, while enjoying delicious Scottish desserts. And we can toast to the fact that we, fellow book clubers, are the creme de la creme! :) (how's the for post-survival summer vacation encouragement ;) )

Scottish Shortbread

Old Fashioned Raspberry Buns

Scottish Berry Brûlée - Emily

Scottish Oat Cakes

Udny Arms Sticky Toffee Pudding

Apple Shortbread Pie

Scotch Teas (this is actually a food!) - Tessa

(Recipes can be found here: 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/10-delicious-scottish-dessert-recipes-7669051

Or Google/Pinterest)

Drinks: Danielle