The Longest Memory Questions

Epigraphs
1. What is the meaning of the novels two epigraphs and how do they relate to
the content and themes of the novel?

Prologue: Remembering
2. What does the first line suggest about Whitechapels state of mind? How
would you describe Whitechapels attitude to life in the prologue?

3. How is memory described on p. 2? What connection can you draw between

this description of memory and memory experienced in Black Diggers?

Chapter 1: Whitechapel
4. What words would you use to describe the conditions slaves live under?
Choose three quotes. (pp. 3-8)

5. What words/phrases are used to describe the brutality of Chapels beating? (pp.
5-6).

6. How is Whitechapel characterised in the opening pages of this chapter? (pp. 3-

11)

7. Why do you think DArguir chose to write Whitechapel from the 1st-person
point-of-view, and with such articulateness?

8. What is Whitechapels reasoning for punishing his son? (pp. 12-15)

9. Briefly summarise the events that lead to the death of Chapel.

10. How is Whitechapel viewed by the other slaves after the death of Chapel (p.
26)?

11. How does Whitechapel now view his masters and his philosophy of
compliance? (p.26)

Chapter 2: Mr. Whitechapel

 12. How does Mr. Whitechapel go against the stereotypical view of a brutal and
callous slave owner? How does his words and actions also reinforce
representations of the stereotypical slave owner?

Against Stereotype Reinforces Stereotype

13. What is Mr. Whitechapels view of Whitechapel? (p. 31-35)

14. In reference to slavery, Mr. Whitechapel states What began as a single thread
has, over the generations, woven itself into a prodigious carpet that cannot be
unwoven. Down that road lies chaos. What does he mean? What is a
similar line relating to the impossibility of reversing history in Black Diggers?

15. Find evidence of Mr. Whitechapels religious hypocrisy in the chapter.

Chapter 3: Sanders Senior

16. Contrast the structure and style of Sanders Seniors chapter with that of
Whitechapel. What do these differences suggest about Sanders Seniors
character?

17. How does his characterisation reinforce the view that all those who kept and
managed slaves were brutal and callous?

18. What is Sanders Seniors view of Whitechapel?

19. How does Sanders Senior describe the two times he rapes Cook? (p. 45 and p.
46)? What does this suggest about his view of both slaves and women in
general?

Chapter 4: Cook
20. How is Cook affected by being raped?
 21. How does she view Whitechapel?

Chapter 5: Chapel
22. Chapel and Lydia represent many of the values that DArguiar endorses in the
novel, values that provide a strong counterpoint to the brutality and
callousness of slavery. Analyse the structure and style of Chapels chapter.
What views and values are endorsed through this structure and style?

23. Beyond his style, what values do Chapels thoughts and actions embody?

24. How does Chapel view Whitechapel?

25. On p. 60, Chapel uses an allusion to Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet when he
states that he and Lydia are star-crossed lovers. What are the similarities
between their story and Romeo and Juliets? What themes do both stories
similarly explore?

26. What character in Black Diggers is Chapel most like?

Chapter 6: Plantation Owners

27. This chapter represents a battle of values between Mr. Whitechapels more
humane view of slavery verses the more callous approach of other slave
owners. What are the different arguments?

Mr. Whitechapels View of Slaves Other Slave Owners Views of Slaves

(often repeated by other plantation
owners)

28. This chapter also gives two different views of Christianity and its relation to
slave ownership. What are they?

29. Besides being racist and hypocritical (in terms of Christian values), how else
are the plantation owners characterised?

30. What is Mr. Whitechapels view of Whitechapel? (p. 75)

 31. Why do the Plantation Owners praise Whitechapel (pp. 76-77)? Does this, in
your opinion, equate to nobility?

32. Why does DArguir use the second-person (you) point-of-view in this
chapter?

Chapter 7: Lydia
33. Choose two quotes that illuminate the joy that Chapel finds in being
introduced to the world of words and the imagination.

Chapter 8: Cook
34. We are positioned to empathise with Cook in this chapter. How does DArguir
achieve this?

35. What does Cook suggest would be Whitechapels view of Chapel learning to
read? (pp. 85-86)

Chapter 9: Lydia
36. Why do you think Mr. Whitechapel believes teaching Chapel to read would be
the gravest injustice? (p. 88). Do you think there is some perverse truth to
this? What is Lydias response to this?

37. What values does Lydia embody that are scarce in this world of Plantation
owners and their families? How does her writing style reinforce these values?

38. What is Chapels view of his father? (p. 90)

39. We have seen memory being something traumatic in both texts. Yet memory
is characterised as something different between Lydia and Chapel (pp. 90-91).
How is it characterised?

Chapter 10: Lydia

40. What is suggested about gender roles in this chapter?
 41. What words would you use to characterise Lydia and Chapels relationship in
this chapter? What values do their relationship represent that are missing in the
world of plantation owners and their families?

42. Research Shakespeares sonnet 19 (p. 96). Why do you think DAguiar alludes
to it?

43. What is Chapel and Lydias only source of hope for the future of their
relationship?

Chapter 11: The Virginian

44. Why do you think DArguiar includes a whole chapter of editorials?

45. What is revealed in these letters about the lives of slaves?

46. What arguments do the Virginians use to absolve themselves of their moral
duty to treat slaves like humans?

47. What arguments counter these views and provide some hope for abolition?

48. What does the editorial on p. 121 suggest about the social pressure on the
editor to maintain a certain racist viewpoint and ideology?

Chapter 12 : Great Grandmother

49. This chapter is from the point of view of Whitechapels Great Granddaughter.
Why do you think DArguiar titled the chapter Great Grandmother?

50. What does Africa symbolise for her?

51. What does Whitechapel being annoyed with his Great-Granddaughter for
dreaming about Africa suggest about his attitude to his life and his
enslavement?

52. How is Whitechapel treated after Chapels death? (pp. 126-128)

 53. What happens to her dream of Africa? (p. 127).

Chapter 13: Sanders Junior

54. Was Whitechapel, in your view, a man that as Sanders Junior states
embodied courage (p. 134)?

55. What does Sanders Junior think about Chapel (his half-brother)? (p. 130)

56. What is the tone of Sanders Juniors discussion of his killing of Chapel? Does
it represent anger or guilt, or something else?

Epilogue: Forgetting
57. How does Whitechapel before his death view his life, and the values he has
lived by?

58. What do both texts, The Longest Memory and Black Diggers suggest about
loyalty?

59. What does death mean for Whitechapel?

60. Do we ultimately sympathise with Whitechapel? Or condemn him?

61. Who or what do you think is mainly responsible for the death of Chapel?