The Measure

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• The Measure features the stories of a number of different characters. Which characters’ stories resonated most with you? Which did you find least compelling?
• Discuss your reactions as the story unfolded, particularly to the ending. Which parts of the novel resonated most with you? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Each character in The Measure has a completely different experience with regard to their string. Which experience did you connect with most? Would you open your box? Why or why not?
• Discuss the book’s exploration of the purpose of life and the meaning of mortality. Did it affect the way you think about these concepts?
• Explore the novel’s examination of happiness through the lives of the characters. Which characters, in your opinion, came closer to an understanding of happiness, and how? 
• The novel pays close attention to the issues of fate and free will. Did Erlick’s exploration of these concepts change your perspective on them?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• In The Measure, the strings are a point of division in society, quickly becoming a political and even military issue. Discuss the novel’s relevance to other divisions within society. What is the novel saying about this issue?
• How do race and class play a role in the events of the novel? Discuss Erlick’s exploration of discrimination through the concept of the strings. What lessons does this offer for real-world societies?

4. Literary Analysis 

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Discuss the novel’s place in the science fiction genre. How does Erlick uphold or subvert science fiction’s conventions to deepen the novel’s thematic meaning?
• Choose a character and analyze their arc over the course of the story. How does that character change and grow? What challenges do they face, and how do those challenges drive their arc?
• Analyze Erlick’s use of literary references, such as those she makes to Greek mythology. 
• Discuss Erlick’s strategy of telling the story from several different perspectives. How does her choice of whose stories to tell affect the meaning of the story?
• Letters play an important part in the narrative. Discuss Erlick’s use of letters, considering what they symbolize as well as how they move the narrative forward. 

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Imagine this novel were set in a different time period or country. How would a change in setting impact the meaning of the story, as well as the narrative itself?
• Suppose you were an activist campaigning for the rights of short-stringers. What would your message be, and how would you deliver it?

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