Brownies

To develop well-rounded characters in literary fiction, no character can be entirely “good” or entirely “bad,” even if a character leans more one way than the other. How does Packer show Snot to be less than entirely virtuous? Conversely, how does Packer show a character like Arnetta to have at least some positive aspects to her personality? 

What role does religion play in the story? 

How does Packer move the theme of discrimination to the foreground at the end of the story, making plot secondary after the narrative’s climatic moment? 

What function does the stack of field hockey balls, mentioned on Page 9, have in the story? Why does Packer choose to include this detail? 

Often, voices play as large, if not a larger role in illuminating characters’ personalities than appearances do. Why does Packer choose to focus so much on voice as a means of characterization? 

Discuss the relationship between Daphne and Snot. While the two barely speak to one another directly in the story, they also seem to harbor a deep bond. What is this bond predicated upon, and what does Snot learn from Daphne? 

Discuss how Packer uses silence in “Brownies.” In a narrative where voice, and voices, are extremely important, what role or roles does silence play?

Why does Packer choose a summer camp as the story’s setting?