52 pages • 1 hour read
Eliza GriswoldAmity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Compare and contrast how Stacey, Beth, and Buzz each handle their fight with Range Resources. How does the struggle alter each character throughout the story?
Though Amity and Prosperity is a nonfiction book, Griswold frequently uses literary devices in the course of the book’s narrative. Discuss three of these literary devices and the effects they have on the reader. Why does Griswold choose to use them?
In Chapter 22, Griswold discusses the concept of the Tragedy of the Commons, an economic principle stating that commonly-held resources will always be dilapidated by individual greed. How does Tragedy of the Commons relate to Range Resources’ fracking in Amity? Do you believe that it is possible to maintain a public commons?
Trace Stacey’s growth into an outspoken activist who publicly speaks out against fracking. What major events cause Stacey to take on this role?
What is Pennsylvania’s economy like when fracking begins in the early 2000s? How does Washington County’s economic history impact people’s attitudes toward the gas companies? Why do many residents choose to allow fracking on their land?
Griswold describes most Washington County residents as having a strong distaste for the federal government and any form of regulation. What historical events have caused this “anti-federalist spirit” (67)? How do such attitudes pave the way for fracking companies to drill in Washington County?
Griswold describes fracking both as a possible source for domestic energy and as a potential environmental hazard. Do the benefits of fracking outweigh its risks? Should fracking be outlawed as a practice?
Greed is a frequent topic throughout Amity and Prosperity: Stacey suspects that Range Resources is cutting safety measures to increase profits, while many Amity residents believe Stacey is suing Range to make a quick buck. How does money influence one’s motives throughout Amity and Prosperity? Does money change one’s character?
Stacey and Beth make repeated calls to both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, though both believe that the agencies are useless in protecting their water. Do you agree with Stacey and Beth’s evaluation? If so, why do you believe the agencies failed in their mission?
What obstacles do John Smith and Kendra encounter in their search for evidence that Range Resources contaminated Stacey, Beth, and Buzz’s water? What prevents them from definitively proving the occurrence of chemical exposure?
