Police free Russian cult kids who reportedly never saw sun
At least 57 members of an Islamist sect,
including children, have been discovered living underground in the
Republic of Tatarstan, according to Russian police. Many of them have never even seen the sun, authorities said. The sect members, which includes at least 19 children ages 1 to 17,
were freed. They were found August 1 during a police raid performed as
part of an ongoing investigation into militant groups in Tatarstan. The
bunker, which appeared to be made of decrepit concrete blocks, has
multiple levels below ground with tight-quartered cells that have no
light, ventilation or heat.
Room, A Novel by Emma Donoghue To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born,
it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his
Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep
when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the
prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love
for her son, she has created a life for him in this
eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building
alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either
much longer. Room is a tale at once shocking,
riveting, exhilarating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing
circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her
child.
Room, A Novel by Emma Donoghue 352 pages published by Back Bay Books in May, 2011 ISBN-10: 0316098329
In the beginning, we are not really sure what has happened but we are aware that what Jack thinks of as normal is far from being normal. The book can be loosely divided into three parts: the Room, the escape and the aftermath. In the case of the Russian sect, we know about their "room" and their "escape" but we know nothing yet about their "aftermath". This book gives us a clear picture of what is yet to come for them. A good book should leave you something that can be applied in our lives. The following questions were boldly borrowed from Oprah's Book Club and are for after the book has been read.
1. Why do you think the entire book is told in Jack's voice? Do you think it is effective?
2. What are some of the ways in which Jack's development has been stunted by growing up in Room? How has he benefited?
3. If you were Ma, what would you miss most about the outside world?
4. What would you do differently if you were Jack's parent? Would you tell Jack about the outside world from the start?
5. If Ma had never given birth to Jack, what would her situation in Room be like?
6. What would you ask for, for Sunday treat, if you were Jack? If you were Ma?
7. Describe the dynamic between Old Nick and Ma. Why does the author choose not to tell us Old Nick's story?
8. What does joining the outside world do to Jack? To Ma?
9. What role do you think the media play in the novel?
10. In a similar situation, how would you teach a child the difference between the real world and what they watch on television?
11. Why are we so fascinated by stories of long-term confinement?
12. What were you most affected by in the novel?
Room, A Novel by Emma Donoghue 352 pages published by Back Bay Books in May, 2011 ISBN-10: 0316098329
In the beginning, we are not really sure what has happened but we are aware that what Jack thinks of as normal is far from being normal. The book can be loosely divided into three parts: the Room, the escape and the aftermath. In the case of the Russian sect, we know about their "room" and their "escape" but we know nothing yet about their "aftermath". This book gives us a clear picture of what is yet to come for them. A good book should leave you something that can be applied in our lives. The following questions were boldly borrowed from Oprah's Book Club and are for after the book has been read.
1. Why do you think the entire book is told in Jack's voice? Do you think it is effective?
2. What are some of the ways in which Jack's development has been stunted by growing up in Room? How has he benefited?
3. If you were Ma, what would you miss most about the outside world?
4. What would you do differently if you were Jack's parent? Would you tell Jack about the outside world from the start?
5. If Ma had never given birth to Jack, what would her situation in Room be like?
6. What would you ask for, for Sunday treat, if you were Jack? If you were Ma?
7. Describe the dynamic between Old Nick and Ma. Why does the author choose not to tell us Old Nick's story?
8. What does joining the outside world do to Jack? To Ma?
9. What role do you think the media play in the novel?
10. In a similar situation, how would you teach a child the difference between the real world and what they watch on television?
11. Why are we so fascinated by stories of long-term confinement?
12. What were you most affected by in the novel?
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