Milkweed

Misha is perpetually in motion. He is constantly running: to steal, to escape from Jackboots, and to save Janina. Does Misha’s physical state reflect his inner state of mind? By the end of the novel, is Misha finally able to rest?  

Misha finds a home with the Milgroms and begins spending less time with Uri and the boys. Discuss how friendship and family intersect in the novel. Do they mean the same things? How does Misha maintain a balance between them? Does Misha finally get the family he always wished for?

Consider Misha’s initial innocence and ignorance. Why does Spinelli choose a young, unnamed boy as a protagonist for conveying the horrors of the Holocaust? In what ways would the book have been different had Spinelli chosen Uri or Janina as the protagonist?

Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Milgrom and Uncle Shepsel. Why do the two men have such different approaches to religion? What is Spinelli trying to tell the reader through his descriptions of each character?

Analyze the character of the piper. The piper walks through the streets of the ghetto, calling out to children to follow him to “the candy mountain” (119). Why does he do this and to what end? Where do you think the children who follow him go? Why do you think Janina and Big Henryk eventually believe him about the candy mountain?

Think about the theme of sacrifice in the novel. Think of a few characters and consider what they value most. What are these characters willing to sacrifice for the things that are precious to them? Why do you think these things are so worth protecting to them? 

How are mothers portrayed in Milkweed? The boys believe mothers are imaginary things, to be skeptical of or to be believed in. How does this reflect the way that Misha sees Mrs. Milgrom? Why do the boys seem to wish for mothers more than fathers?

Consider gender in the context of the novel. Think about Mr. Milgrom and the way he divides Misha and Janina into their respective genders. Misha’s group of friends are exclusively referred to as “the boys,” why would they not be friends with girls? The few women Misha knows are Mrs. Milgrom, Janina, and the women who wear fox furs around their necks. Where are the rest of the women?