51 pages • 1 hour read
Crystal Smith PaulDid You Hear About Kitty Karr?
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? shifts between Kitty’s point of view in the past and Elise’s in the present. What purpose does this structure serve? How does it influence not only the plot but also the book’s themes?
The majority of the book’s chapters are told from Kitty’s or Elise’s viewpoint. However, early in the book, some chapters are told from Hazel’s point of view. Why might the author make this choice? What does Hazel’s point of view add that Kitty’s and Elise’s could not?
Although Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a work of fiction, it references real-world events, past and present. What is the purpose of including such references? How do they shape the book’s themes?
Discuss the significance of pregnancy and motherhood in the book in the context of intersectionality. Draw on examples for your analysis, such as Emma, Kitty, and Sarah.
Discuss the significance of pregnancy and motherhood in the book in the context of intersectionality. Draw on examples for your analysis, such as Emma, Kitty, and Sarah.
The gold ball earrings eventually make their way from Hazel’s grandmother to Elise. Discuss the earrings’ significance to the story, considering their symbolic significance.
The women of Blair House are investigated by the FBI for fraud. What does this imply about the significance of Blair House and its activities? Why include this plot detail?
Throughout the book’s trajectory, the reader watches Elise gradually step back from the picture-perfect Hollywood image she has crafted over time. Why is this so significant? Compare Elise’s evolution to Kitty’s, remembering that Kitty still died passing as white.
In the book’s final chapters, Elise reveals that she experienced racist police brutality as a child. Why does the author include this final plot twist? What does it add to the book’s thematic argument on structural racism? How does it influence the reader’s view of Elise’s character?
The book concludes in a full-circle moment, with Elise winning an Oscar just like Kitty once had. Discuss the significance of this parallel moment, considering Elise’s position as a Black actress in the 21st century versus Kitty’s as a Black actress passing as white in the mid-20th century. How do these contrasting moments change the significance of awards like the Oscars?
