"Bigger. Biggest ranch. Biggest steer. Biggest hat. Biggest state. A mania for Bigness. What littleness did it hide?" P. 199
1.Why did Ferber name her story Giant and how was her message/lesson connected to that?
2. When Giant was released in 1952, Edna Ferber made many in the south angry with what they felt was an unfair characterization of southern culture and its customs.The Dallas Morning News headline on Lon Tinkle’s review read “Ferber Goes Both Native and Berserk: Parody, Not Portrait, of Texas Life.” Do you feel Southerners had a right to be angry? What are some specific instances you can remember described in the story that would warrant that reaction?
3. It was a big deal in 1952 American to have a female author write about race and discriminatory practices in the South, especially using a female protagonist such as the character of Leslie to paint a disparaging picture of life in Texas at the time. What do think would have been the reaction of different races and genders reading this novel at the time?
4. In an era when racism and classism ran amok through the state of Texas, Giant provides a good hard look at the struggles many people faced due to circumstances beyond their control. Could you imagine reading a book about your town in the present day that shined a light on all the social norms you practiced? Would it change the way you think, live, work? What impact do you think it would it have on your family, friends, community?
5. "Well, you know the old Texas saying. In Texas the cattle come first, then the men, then the horses, and last the women." (Page 43)
What parallels do you see between racial and gender issues in the Giant? What differences or similarities do you see in the way the men dismiss the women compared to how they dismiss the Mexicans who work in the area?
6.Discuss the experiences Leslie has regarding the following events and how they affected her:
"But your serfs," said the King. "The peons I see everywhere here. Could they not have removed this mesquite with hand labor before it grew to such --"
"Serfs!" Roared Bale Clinch. "Why, we got no serfs here in this country! Everybody here is a free American."
"Yes, of course," agreed the King hastily. "Certainly. I see. I see."
He does see, Leslie thought. He's only a frightened little king without a country, but he sees.
7. The cultural and economic inequalities were immediately apparent to Leslie. Towards the end she warns Bick about his view towards the Mexicans (also their son marries a Mexican woman and their grandson is half Mexican). Fast forward to today, will the bigotry actually ever catch up to people in our current society?
8. Let's talk about food! Throughout the book Giant, food was a important aspect of the character's lives. And everyone seemed to have an opinion on what type food they thought was best! Do you think Leslie had any idea how different the food was going to be in Texas? How do you think you would adjust to eating authentic Texas cuisine?
9. "He walked, not as a man who has authority and power, but as a man does who boasts of these" (Page 49). Describe Jett Rink in one word only.
10. In the beginning of the story when we are introduced to the "idea" of the character of Jett it appears he has made a success of himself with the main characters attending a gala surrounding the grand opening of an airport bearing his name. However, when we actually meet the character in person, the majority of the novel paints a very different picture of Jett as a person who is basically a very troubled individual and the town outcast. Do you feel Jett was deserving of the power he had attained? Do you think the town "enabled" Jett to use bullying and intimidation as a means to get ahead? If so, which characters were the enablers?
11. Despite Jett Rink being obsessed with Leslie, and wanting to marry her daughter, Leslie never reciprocates feelings for Jet. Do you think that Jet is simply coveting Leslie because she 'belongs' to Bick, and he wants what Bick has, or are the feelings legitimate?
12. Why did Jett encourage dangerous behavior/kill Old Luz with Leslie's family horse and the hoop skirts? Did it have anything to do with Leslie? What about the other times Jett killed people (like the BBQ guy) and got away with it?
13. Compare/contrast Leslie's outward expression as the story progresses compared to the following quote describing her before she ever steps foot in Texas: "Leslie Lynnton had opinions of her own, she conversed and even argued with her distinguished father and his friends on matters political, sociological, medical and literary just as if she were a man."
14. Lot's of men from all walks of life and ages fall for Leslie (admiring her eye with the 'cast' for some reason). Leslie's love and admiration is first shown in the relationship with her father, saying she'd been in love with him as a rationale for not getting married. In her first twenty years, Leslie is a product of the relationship with her father, and by the end of the book, we see her with about twenty years of her life in her marriage to Bick and Texas. How are the men alike? How are they different? How did they affect her behavior and personal expression?
15. As a follow up, if Uncle Bawley had been younger, would she have left Bick for him (the perfect combination of her father and Bick)? Who else was surprised by that kiss on the lips?!
16. What do you think about the social expectations that were placed on Leslie when she came to Texas? Do you think the way she went about trying to change those expectations was the “best” way to go about it?
Did she really end up changing anything in the end, or did she amend herself over the years?
While not directly addressed, do you think Bick’s expectations of her changed over time?
How realistic was their dialogue and relationship? For example, when Leslie says something that makes Bick want to hit her, and he nearly does, he says, "I almost hit you," and she replies, "I know, Darling."
17. Leslie goes back to visit her family in Virginia after giving birth to her second child.
"These two terribly dissimilar people would not admit even to themselves that they were about to take a cool detached look at the brief tale of their married years, and a long speculative look at the years that stretched before them" P. 308.
What are your thoughts about this trip, and was it a turning point for Leslie and Bick?
18. Why was Leslie upset at her daughter for wanting to attend Texas Tech instead of a finishing school? At the time Texas Tech was an agricultural school mainly attended by boys. What does it say about Leslie's own gender bias that she encourages and helps her son Jordan take an alternate route (and personally express himself) from what was expected from his Benedict family, but for her daughter she wanted to keep her in the female stereotype despite her interest in Reata and ranching?
19. At the end of the book, Bick’s children (and one of his growing farm hand children, as well as the son of one of the Mexican workers, Angel Oberon II) rejects his way of life. He defined himself by his way of life and his ranch. How did he handle that rejection? Bick and Leslie have completely different opinions of the success of the Benedict family. Who did you think is right?
20. Ferber had a knack for capturing character. Discuss a few standouts:
Luz the first (Leslie said, "She makes you long to sit quietly in a low chair in a dim peaceful room with your eyes shut listening to nothing, not even to a faraway string quartet" P.132)
Dr. Horace Lynnton ("Oh Papa, you aren't - haven't you been well?" "You've been looking at seven-foot beef eaters for two years, all Eastern men will look like albino dwarfs to you." P. 309)
Mrs. Lynnton (this quote from Bick's perspective: "He could not be angry with her, actually, though he thought privately that he would like nothing better than to drive her out to really good rattlesnake country some hot bright afternoon." P. 320)
Uncle Bawley (“I never go to weddings. Waste of time. Person can get married a dozen times. Lots of folks do. Family like ours, know everybody in the state of Texas and around outside, why, you could spend your life going to weddings. But a funeral, that's different. You only die once.” )
also the comedy duo of Vashti Hake and Pinky Snythe...lot's of quotes....
21. What was Edna thinking about when she ended the book??? What are your thoughts on the 'Back to the Future' style structure of this story? Was it effective in drawing you into the story? Also, why did Ferber hate commas?
***It was very difficult to find much information or discussion about the actual book without surgically removing it from the film version of Giant. Did anyone have a chance to view the film? What did you think?
2. When Giant was released in 1952, Edna Ferber made many in the south angry with what they felt was an unfair characterization of southern culture and its customs.The Dallas Morning News headline on Lon Tinkle’s review read “Ferber Goes Both Native and Berserk: Parody, Not Portrait, of Texas Life.” Do you feel Southerners had a right to be angry? What are some specific instances you can remember described in the story that would warrant that reaction?
4. In an era when racism and classism ran amok through the state of Texas, Giant provides a good hard look at the struggles many people faced due to circumstances beyond their control. Could you imagine reading a book about your town in the present day that shined a light on all the social norms you practiced? Would it change the way you think, live, work? What impact do you think it would it have on your family, friends, community?
5. "Well, you know the old Texas saying. In Texas the cattle come first, then the men, then the horses, and last the women." (Page 43)
What parallels do you see between racial and gender issues in the Giant? What differences or similarities do you see in the way the men dismiss the women compared to how they dismiss the Mexicans who work in the area?
6.Discuss the experiences Leslie has regarding the following events and how they affected her:
- When she takes a walk and finds the sick new mother and the crying baby who grows up to be Angel Oberon
- When she is pregnant, and forces the Coyote and his wife to lead her to the migrant worker camp where she encounters the new mother who gave birth to stillborn baby, and will be going back to work in the fields in a few days
- When she finds the 'wetback' in Uncle Bawley shed, and later asks Bick how he would have handled the situation hypothetically
- When she is mistaken for a Mexican in the diner with her grandson and daugher-in-law, and refused service
- On the airplane with the King of the deposed country:
"But your serfs," said the King. "The peons I see everywhere here. Could they not have removed this mesquite with hand labor before it grew to such --"
"Serfs!" Roared Bale Clinch. "Why, we got no serfs here in this country! Everybody here is a free American."
"Yes, of course," agreed the King hastily. "Certainly. I see. I see."
He does see, Leslie thought. He's only a frightened little king without a country, but he sees.
7. The cultural and economic inequalities were immediately apparent to Leslie. Towards the end she warns Bick about his view towards the Mexicans (also their son marries a Mexican woman and their grandson is half Mexican). Fast forward to today, will the bigotry actually ever catch up to people in our current society?
8. Let's talk about food! Throughout the book Giant, food was a important aspect of the character's lives. And everyone seemed to have an opinion on what type food they thought was best! Do you think Leslie had any idea how different the food was going to be in Texas? How do you think you would adjust to eating authentic Texas cuisine?
9. "He walked, not as a man who has authority and power, but as a man does who boasts of these" (Page 49). Describe Jett Rink in one word only.
10. In the beginning of the story when we are introduced to the "idea" of the character of Jett it appears he has made a success of himself with the main characters attending a gala surrounding the grand opening of an airport bearing his name. However, when we actually meet the character in person, the majority of the novel paints a very different picture of Jett as a person who is basically a very troubled individual and the town outcast. Do you feel Jett was deserving of the power he had attained? Do you think the town "enabled" Jett to use bullying and intimidation as a means to get ahead? If so, which characters were the enablers?
11. Despite Jett Rink being obsessed with Leslie, and wanting to marry her daughter, Leslie never reciprocates feelings for Jet. Do you think that Jet is simply coveting Leslie because she 'belongs' to Bick, and he wants what Bick has, or are the feelings legitimate?
12. Why did Jett encourage dangerous behavior/kill Old Luz with Leslie's family horse and the hoop skirts? Did it have anything to do with Leslie? What about the other times Jett killed people (like the BBQ guy) and got away with it?
14. Lot's of men from all walks of life and ages fall for Leslie (admiring her eye with the 'cast' for some reason). Leslie's love and admiration is first shown in the relationship with her father, saying she'd been in love with him as a rationale for not getting married. In her first twenty years, Leslie is a product of the relationship with her father, and by the end of the book, we see her with about twenty years of her life in her marriage to Bick and Texas. How are the men alike? How are they different? How did they affect her behavior and personal expression?
15. As a follow up, if Uncle Bawley had been younger, would she have left Bick for him (the perfect combination of her father and Bick)? Who else was surprised by that kiss on the lips?!
Did she really end up changing anything in the end, or did she amend herself over the years?
While not directly addressed, do you think Bick’s expectations of her changed over time?
How realistic was their dialogue and relationship? For example, when Leslie says something that makes Bick want to hit her, and he nearly does, he says, "I almost hit you," and she replies, "I know, Darling."
17. Leslie goes back to visit her family in Virginia after giving birth to her second child.
"These two terribly dissimilar people would not admit even to themselves that they were about to take a cool detached look at the brief tale of their married years, and a long speculative look at the years that stretched before them" P. 308.
What are your thoughts about this trip, and was it a turning point for Leslie and Bick?
18. Why was Leslie upset at her daughter for wanting to attend Texas Tech instead of a finishing school? At the time Texas Tech was an agricultural school mainly attended by boys. What does it say about Leslie's own gender bias that she encourages and helps her son Jordan take an alternate route (and personally express himself) from what was expected from his Benedict family, but for her daughter she wanted to keep her in the female stereotype despite her interest in Reata and ranching?
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| Extremely believable aging...especially since Leslie is probably 45. |
19. At the end of the book, Bick’s children (and one of his growing farm hand children, as well as the son of one of the Mexican workers, Angel Oberon II) rejects his way of life. He defined himself by his way of life and his ranch. How did he handle that rejection? Bick and Leslie have completely different opinions of the success of the Benedict family. Who did you think is right?
20. Ferber had a knack for capturing character. Discuss a few standouts:
Luz the first (Leslie said, "She makes you long to sit quietly in a low chair in a dim peaceful room with your eyes shut listening to nothing, not even to a faraway string quartet" P.132)
Dr. Horace Lynnton ("Oh Papa, you aren't - haven't you been well?" "You've been looking at seven-foot beef eaters for two years, all Eastern men will look like albino dwarfs to you." P. 309)
Mrs. Lynnton (this quote from Bick's perspective: "He could not be angry with her, actually, though he thought privately that he would like nothing better than to drive her out to really good rattlesnake country some hot bright afternoon." P. 320)
Uncle Bawley (“I never go to weddings. Waste of time. Person can get married a dozen times. Lots of folks do. Family like ours, know everybody in the state of Texas and around outside, why, you could spend your life going to weddings. But a funeral, that's different. You only die once.” )
also the comedy duo of Vashti Hake and Pinky Snythe...lot's of quotes....
21. What was Edna thinking about when she ended the book??? What are your thoughts on the 'Back to the Future' style structure of this story? Was it effective in drawing you into the story? Also, why did Ferber hate commas?
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