The Grass is Singing

Though Dick Turner and Charlie Slatter are neighbors, they approach farming differently, as well as the concept of success. Describe each man and his take on farming. What examples can you give of success and/or failure for both?

Mary wants to escape from her childhood poverty and reminisces often about her parents. Explain her childhood, her relationship with both parents, and why she dislikes the concept of the store as it relates to them.

The beginning of the novel reveals why many people in the farming community dislike Dick and Mary Turner. What are the reasons for the couple being disliked as hinted at in the novel? What codes are being broken by the two? Would their fate be any different if they had not broken these social rules?

Compare the seasons in the city and on the farm. How do they affect Mary? How do they affect Dick? What does Dick think of Mary’s mood in relation to the seasons? Is it justified? Give examples.

Beginning with Samson and ending with Moses, describe Mary’s interactions with each of the house natives employed by Dick. How does she view them? How does her treatment change with Moses?

Racism runs rampant in the novel. Explain how Dick, Mary, and Charlie each view natives in general and those who work for them, specifically. How is this viewpoint different from the viewpoint of whites in, say, the mission, or those in England? How is it similar and separate from Tony Marston’s views?

Dick Turner is dogged by bad luck throughout the novel. Detail his different attempts at turning a profit on his farm. What are the ideas that perk his interest and how do they play out? What does Mary think of her husband’s luck?

White farmers dislike the idea of natives being “cheeky.” Based on events in the novel, what are examples of cheekiness as seen in native women and native men toward Mary, Charlie and Tony Marston? What is Mary’s reaction to this cheekiness? Why does Charlie hate Mary for how she responds to this cheekiness?