Midnight Without a Moon

What examples of romantic or marital relationships has Rose been exposed to? What has she deduced from these examples? How can her determination to not allow her future to be dictated by a man be interpreted as a side effect of the dynamics she has observed? Are there any positive examples that encourage Rose that faithful, respectful, loving relationships can be possible? Cite passages from the text to support your answer.

How do Rose’s depictions of Fred Lee contribute to an understanding of who she is and what their life has been like? To what events and elements are Fred Lee’s quiet nature and his lack of social engagement attributed compared to other boys his age? Do you think that Rose feels compelled to protect him? Why or why not?

What sources in your life have been instrumental in helping you make sense of the world around you, similar to the way Rose and Hallelujah rely on Jet? What did you learn from them that you might not have considered or been exposed to if you had not encountered them? How do Rose and Hallelujah learn from Jet, and how does this impact them as young people?

Who are Rose’s role models, and what does she embrace about who they are as people? Which characteristics do they share in common, and which are distinctive to each individual? How does she integrate the values they espouse and their ways of being in the world as she experiences a profound period of self-actualization in 1955? Consider characters such as Papa, Aunt Belle, Monty, Miss Addie, Reverend Jenkins, Medgar Evers, etc.

How are the characters who remain in Mississippi throughout their lifetimes and those who move to northern cities and return only to visit different? How have their perspectives changed? How are their priorities different? How is their understanding of the complexities of the Jim Crow south different from the impressions their peers who grew up in northern cities have?

How does Rose’s faith shape her character development over the four months depicted in Midnight Without a Moon? What are her reservations and hesitancies before becoming baptized, and what events contribute to her revelatory experience? What role to do you think her new commitment to her Baptist faith will play now that she has decided to remain in Mississippi?

How does Jackson convey elements of midcentury gender inequality in Midnight Without a Moon? What social or political issues appear to predominately affect male characters or female characters because of their gender identity? How do gender and gender roles constitute an added layer of complexity in the lives of characters who are already heavily impacted by the constraints and violence associated with racial inequality?

In what situations do instances of abandonment in Midnight Without a Moon occur? How does it affect those who are on the receiving end of it? In what ways do they adapt after the abandonment, and how are they altered because of it?