Marcelo en El Mundo Real Discussion Questions
Marcelo en El Mundo Real Discussion Questions
Marcelo en El Mundo Real Discussion Questions
How did you respond to Marcelos father? What are his strengths and flaws as a
character? What does he perceive as a fathers primary responsibility to a son?
Do you accept Arturos explanation for keeping the memo from Garcia (288-289).
Discuss the types of real worlds that Marcelo inhabits: the law office, Paterson, the
Tree House, Jasmines home in Vermont.
Marcelo is told to learn the rules of the real world. What are those rules? Who sets the
rules? What rules do you follow in the following worlds:
Dating
College Life
Academia
Work
Sports
Family
Camping
Discourse
Marcelo is not bi-polar; but nevertheless, he experiences conflicting values. Discuss the
paradigm of values that he confronts. What ethical or moral dilemmas does he face, and
how does he resolve them?
Arturo says that Competition is an attitude. Its a way of understanding that the motive
behind someones action may be self-interest, and reacting to that accordinglyits
helpful to assume that most people are looking out for number one (44). What is your
response to Arturos definition of competition? How do you see competition functioning
in your world?
How would you summarize Marcelos spiritual self? Does it shift in the book? Do you
agree with Rabbi Heschels sermon on God (275-79)? Can you define your spiritual self?
How do you define faith?
How would you summarize Marcelos moral self? He states, I feel like what is right
should be done no matter what (253). He reads Micah 6: 8 -- "He has shown you, O
man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love
mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Is this a good philosophy for personal
conduct? What is the context of the scripture?
This novel is a bildungsroman novel, i.e., an educational novel. What does Marcelo learn
about himself, relationships with others, the future, work, forgiveness? How does he
learn these things? Are you comfortable with Marcelos conclusion that it is not right for
a person to be unaware of pain (302)?
Read Platos the Allegory of the Cave. Apply Marcelo in the Real World to Platos
narrative.
Thoreau and Saint Francis come into the novel in different ways. Discuss how each
figures life influences Marcelo.
Research Topics
Autism
Aspergers Syndrome
Bi-polar
Transcendentalism
Francisco Stork
Symbols
Internal Music
The illustration of a tree branch at the beginning of each chapter
Words
Vidromek
Ixtel
Kicikaz
Themes
Choose one or two passages in the novel that you feel illustrate a theme of the novel.
9. How would you describe Marcelos relationship to Jasmine? Do you see this
relationship evolving on the part of Marcelo from friendship to a more romantic
relationship? What makes Jasmine and Marcelo right for each other on a
friendship level? On a romantic level?
10. When Marcelo visits Rabbi Heschel towards the end of the summer, he tells her that
he has stopped praying and that he has stopped reading holy books? Why did he
stop? Compare Marcelos faith at the beginning of the summer and at the end. What
happened to his special interest?
11. What role does Ixtel play in the novel? How does she affect Marcelo? How is her
influence different from Jasmines?
12. If you were to ask Marcelo at the end of the summer, how do we live with all the
suffering? What do you think he would say to you? Can you point to places in the
book where you think Marcelo might have glimpsed at the answer to that question?