Lizzie Bright And The Buckminster Boy

How would this story have changed if it took place before or during the American Civil War? What impact does Lizzie being technically “free” (not legally enslaved) have on the story and the challenges she faces?

Choose two parts of the book where Schmidt incorporates “the sea breeze” into his narration. What imagery does he use in these sections, and how does that imagery support his story in that passage?

Discuss the use of baseball in the book. Why is baseball so important to Turner? To Willis? To Lizzie? What does baseball symbolize or suggest?

Discuss the role of the Maine landscape in the book. How would the story have changed if it had been set in a different locale, say, the mountains or the prairie? Could Schmidt have deviated from documented historical facts and placed the story elsewhere?

Who is the book’s most central antagonist, and why? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Research how mental health hospitals were operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in America. How does Schmidt’s story align with these facts? Does it differ in any significant way?

Discuss whether religion plays a positive or a negative role in the story. How does Reverend Griffin’s concept of religion differ from Reverend Buckminster’s? From Mr. Stonecrop’s?

How is Lizzie victimized in this novel? Conversely, how does she have agency and use it? Overall, does she serve as a victim or as an empowered character? Why?