April Morning

Adam and Levi are typical brothers in many ways. They fight occasionally and are sometimes competitive, but they are also quite close to one another. How do the battle and Moses’s death change their relationship? In what ways does it stay the same?

Why is it that Granny Cooper and Adam have such a close relationship? How does Granny attempt to shield Adam from Moses’s temper?

The character of Solomon Chandler changes throughout the book, even though the narrative only covers a single day. What are these changes, and what role do these changes play in the novel’s larger themes?

Religion and reason are topics that Adam regularly reflects upon. What are the sources of his conflict with regard to religion, and how does he perceive reason to function in his life and in his community?

At the beginning of April Morning we see Adam, like many adolescents, striving to become a man and resenting any implication that he is anything less than a man. By the end of the novel he is mourning the loss of his childhood and dismayed by his family’s treatment of him as a man. He is, of course, saddened by his father’s death, but what other reasons are there for his change of heart? Is his change of heart complete, or does Adam see something good in his newfound manhood?

Describe the nature of the relationship between Moses Cooper and the reverend. In what areas do they find accord, and where do they differ? How does their dynamic reflect the novel’s positions on reason and religion?

The Committeemen are formed for the specific task of resisting British hegemony. However, their goals are not strictly militant. Describe the nature of the Committeemen as portrayed in the book, and the type of men they were composed of.

Howard Fast was a Jewish American and a well-known communist and atheist. He was also known for his love of America and American history, believing that America’s founding principles were generally enlightened and desirable. How do these various philosophies interact in April Morning? How is Fast’s voice here unique?