Literally Leander discussion

April 2018's book was Dear Martin by Nic Stone. There are spoilers in this thread, so please be aware of that before you continue on.

Below we have listed some discussion questions from Random House's website. Click on the link to see more questions not featured and to see their other associated activities.

Please feel free to post your thoughts, opinions, and observations upon finishing this book. If there is a question you have but we didn't list it, go ahead and post it!

1. Do you have a journal? If you do, why do you write in it? If you don't, why do you suppose people write in journals? What is their purpose?

2. Bruises remain a week after The Incident. "Sometimes [Justyce] thinks they'll never fade." Do you think this is meant literally? If not, what does it mean?

3. In chapter two, Manny, Justyce's best friend, tries to make Justyce aware of how toxic his relationship with Melo is. Describe Manny. What kind of friend is he?

4. What do you know about Manny? Describe his moral and personal dilemmas. Do you feel that Manny is caught in between two worlds? Why?

5. In one letter to Martin, Justyce recalls a conversation he had with his mother. She asks, "You ever consider that maybe you are not supposed to 'fit'? People who make history rarely do." Discuss this statement. What other realizations does Justyce have as he processes his mother's words?

6. Manny visits Justyce after quitting the basketball team. He says, "I woke up." What caused Manny to "wake up"?

7. Respond to Quan's question: "Why try to do right if people will always look at me and assume wrong?" Why did Quan ask this? How does Justyce respond? What would Martin say?

8. Reflect on this comment from Doc as he, Justyce, and SJ respond to the news that characterizes Manny and Justyce as thugs: "They need to believe you're a bad guy who got what he deserved in order for their world to keep spinning the way it always has." How does this statement fir into the story so far? How does it fit into our society?

9. The courtroom scene shows Justyce getting cross-examined by the defense attorney. Did the attorney create doubt? Did she seem to justify Manny's murder?

10. React to the jury's decision. Do you agree? Why or why not?

11. Officer Tison dies in prison. What do you think is going on in Justyce's mind once he hears the news?

12. During the Christmas break after starting Yale, Justyce returns home to visit Manny's gravesite. He sees Jared there. What do they talk about at the cemetery? Do you think that the two will "chill" in the future?

I know. I'm already posting to the April book when I've just barely stared the March book, but Dear Martin is shorter than Turtles All the Way Down, and I should probably answer these questions while it's all still fresh, yeah?

1. Do you have a journal? If you do, why do you write in it? If you don't, why do you suppose people write in journals? What is their purpose?
I don't have a journal, though I used to. I personally think writing in a journal can be a sort of catharsis; it's easier for some people to write things instead of say them. Some even feel that once it's written down and out there, they're free of it. I think that some people have the ability to translate their negative emotions into words, and the act of writing gives them the moment to work through these emotions.

2. Bruises remain a week after The Incident. "Sometimes [Justyce] thinks they'll never fade." Do you think this is meant literally? If not, what does it mean?
I think it's a mix of both. Physical bruises are what's left of painful moments. I think the same can be said for emotional bruises. All people carry baggage of some sort. If you wanted to get all philosophical, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that people are like apples - they start of shiny, but the more times they get dropped and damaged, the more scars they carry, sometimes on the skin and sometimes inside. In context of the book, I think that for Justyce, the physical bruises from the handcuffs are awful and at times painful reminders of what happened to him. But emotional wounds tend to be deeper and last longer than physical ones, which is something that can be seen in Justyce as his story continues.

3. In chapter two, Manny, Justyce's best friend, tries to make Justyce aware of how toxic his relationship with Melo is. Describe Manny. What kind of friend is he?
I think everyone has, at some point, seen that "study" that says that your mean friends are the ones that care about you most. I don't know how true that is it terms of reality, but it does carry a sort of sentiment that I can see within Manny. I think he wants what's best for Justyce, even if that means pointing out things that he doesn't want to hear. But I also think that Manny knows when to step back; when Justyce tells him he's not interested in what Manny has to say, he stops talking. I think it shows that Manny has a certain level of maturity and understanding.

4. What do you know about Manny? Describe his moral and personal dilemmas. Do you feel that Manny is caught in between two worlds? Why?
I do think that Manny is straddling two worlds, at least in the context of the book. He comes from a wealthy family in which minorities are... well, very minor in comparison to whites. He has grown up as one of the only kids of color in his grade. At the same time, his ethnic background is shared with Justyce, who identifies his family as middle/lower-class, and has dealt with issues that Manny would never have to experience. But, I also think that Manny experiences much of the same that Justyce does in regards to school: they are made to feel like they're not white enough to fit in with their classmates, nor black enough to spend time with their extended families/Justyce's neighbors. I think Manny's dilemma would stem from this discord in his own identity.

5. In one letter to Martin, Justyce recalls a conversation he had with his mother. She asks, "You ever consider that maybe you are not supposed to 'fit'? People who make history rarely do." Discuss this statement. What other realizations does Justyce have as he processes his mother's words?
I think it's a fair statement. Most people that make history don't fit in. Change is required for history to be made, and if you're one of millions, one who doesn't see something new, something innovative, or something that needs to be fixed, then historically there probably isn't any reason for you to stand out in a large way. I like to think that Justyce perceives his mother's words as encouragement, as a "You can make a change" kind of pep talk.

6. Manny visits Justyce after quitting the basketball team. He says, "I woke up." What caused Manny to "wake up"?
Honestly, I don't think Manny was completely asleep. I think he was just unsure of how to handle his thoughts, and I think that he needed someone else - in this case, Justyce - to make the first move.

7. Respond to Quan's question: "Why try to do right if people will always look at me and assume wrong?" Why did Quan ask this? How does Justyce respond? What would Martin say?
Coming from a psychology background, I would say that Quan has become a victim of a phenomena called "stereotype threat." It's a self-fulfilling prophesy. Basically, I think it's hard for one to continue to prove people wrong. It's easier just to become what they think of you. It's easier to give in. It's easier to let anxiety take a hold of your unconscious thought and push you into the stereotype. When it comes to what Martin would have said, I would imagine that he would think it's just something you have to take control of. You have to believe better of yourself, before you can make others believe better of you.

8. Reflect on this comment from Doc as he, Justyce, and SJ respond to the news that characterizes Manny and Justyce as thugs: "They need to believe you're a bad guy who got what he deserved in order for their world to keep spinning the way it always has." How does this statement fir into the story so far? How does it fit into our society?
I don't think that it's any secret that humanity has always wanted to punish the people they think are "wrong." I think that we have always put a lot of faith into what is supposed to protect us, and it's terrifying to think that it's not foolproof. Because of this, stories are twisted in such a way that it makes it where people earn their just desserts. People don't want to hurt the good guys, and if that means that they have to make someone with a "questionable" personality into a bad guy, they'll do it.

In another context, it could all be a political game, as well. Nothing is worse for a politician than being morally defunct. Making major mistakes, like locking up a young man who did nothing wrong based on the profiling of his skin color, could tank a politician's career. Because of this, mistakes are spun away until they either disappear or work in the spinner's favor.

9. The courtroom scene shows Justyce getting cross-examined by the defense attorney. Did the attorney create doubt? Did she seem to justify Manny's murder?
The trial scene of this book reminded me exactly why I'm not a big fan of Law & Order. Basically, it's a defense attorney's job to create doubt, even if he/she believes that the defendant is to blame. I hate the way that the attorney has all of the power in situations like these. In the book, the attorney was allowed to cut Justyce's words off. She was allowed to twist his words. But he is not allowed the ability to answer beyond the question, if the judge doesn't seem fit. To me, this is a terrifying truth of law.

10. React to the jury's decision. Do you agree? Why or why not?
I think that this is actually one of the hardest questions to answer. Because readers were there with Justyce and Manny, it's easy to say that Tison's verdict of a lesser charge was 100% unacceptable. But I imagine that if I was in the position of the jurors, I would find it hard to answer. There jurors weren't there, and they can only depend on what they've heard during the trial. That being said, the defense attorney did do her job of creating reasonable doubt that it was a planned, ruthless murder. At that point, what choice to do have? So while I hated the outcome, it was all too realistic.

11. Officer Tison dies in prison. What do you think is going on in Justyce's mind once he hears the news?
I think it wouldn't be far-fetched for Justyce to feel a sense of relief. There's a finality with death that he's become all too familiar with. But I also think that Justyce felt a little sadness, perhaps a little emptiness. Because now, not only is Manny gone, but someone else has died as a result of that fateful day. And even if Officer Tison was clearly in the wrong, I don't think that Justyce lacks compassion, so he probably felt bad at least for Tison's friends and family.

12. During the Christmas break after starting Yale, Justyce returns home to visit Manny's gravesite. He sees Jared there. What do they talk about at the cemetery? Do you think that the two will "chill" in the future?
Honestly, I think Manny's murder opened Jared's eyes to the total tool he was being. When Jared and Justyce talk about Manny, they are connecting over the friendship of their mutual friend, regardless of how they felt about each other. But even if Justyce forgives Jared for all of the terrible things he said or did, I don't foresee them being friends in the future. I think it's much more likely that they will bury the past behind them, even if this event connects them for the rest of their lives.

1. Do you have a journal? If you do, why do you write in it? If you don't, why do you suppose people write in journals? What is their purpose?

I kept a journal for years, but I do not anymore. When I kept a journal, I used it as a diary. I love to write and found it therapeutic to write about my day or my feelings. While I do not want to go back to journaling as a diary, I would like to try bullet journaling because I like organization and the idea of having everything in one place.

4. What do you know about Manny? Describe his moral and personal dilemmas. Do you feel that Manny is caught in between two worlds? Why?

I do feel like Manny is caught between two worlds, as he struggles with his racial identity. He is an African American but describes himself as living in an all-white world. Justyce is his only black friend. He comes from an upper-middle class background, where his parents earn six figure salaries; he drives a nice car; and his home has a basement apartment. He feels he is not black enough to fit in with some of his African American relatives. However, because he is black, he is unable to escape the racial inequality present in society.

6. Manny visits Justyce after quitting the basketball team. He says, "I woke up." What caused Manny to "wake up"?

At the party, Justyce tells Manny his friends are racist and disrespectful to African Americans. While Manny was not ready to process Justyce’s words at the time, they ultimately helped open his eyes to see his friends in their true light.

10. React to the jury's decision. Do you agree? Why or why not?

I understand why the jury decided the way they did – the defense attorney created reasonable doubt. However, knowing what I do about the case, it was lenient a decision. Officer Tison murdered Manny and was only charged with misdemeanors and the aggravated assault, which was the less severe of two felonies.

11. Officer Tison dies in prison. What do you think is going on in Justyce's mind once he hears the news?

I think the first emotion Justyce would feel is relief. Justyce no longer must return to court and relive the afternoon of The Incident. Manny’s death was avenged when Officer Tison was murdered.

12. During the Christmas break after starting Yale, Justyce returns home to visit Manny's gravesite. He sees Jared there. What do they talk about at the cemetery? Do you think that the two will "chill" in the future?

At the cemetery, Justyce and Jared talk about Manny and college. I think Justyce and Jared might hang out one time because they are familiar to each other. However, I do not think they will become good friends. Even if Justyce can forgive Jared for his past behavior, I do not think he will forget. I also do not think their friendship has a strong basis. They had one friend in common, but did not have similar interests.

There seems to be a lot of books that are being published in this vein of subject. Everyone knows about The Hate U Give, but I've also seen the more recent Tyler Johnson Was Here.

I'm just curious if anyone has read Tyler Johnson Was Here. I've seen some mixed reviews about it and I'm not sure if I want to add it to my Want to Read list.

Tyler Johnson Was Here is on my TBR list, but I haven't read it yet. I'll update here when I do. The upcoming Anger Is a Gift also sounds similar and I am more excited to read it than Tyler Johnson because of the positive reviews I have already heard about it.

My favorite book on the subject is Piecing Me Together. It is a quieter read than the others because it does not deal with physical violence, but rather microaggression and class issues within race. I am also currently reading Pride, which debuts this September. The novel is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and deals with prejudices and class issues.

Cool! Thanks for the suggestions!