Reading: Figueras, Kamchatka, pp. 233-309, Ch. 64-81

Marcelo Figueras, Kamchatka (2003/2010)

1. Fourth Period: Astronomy, pp. 235-309

Marcelo Figueras, Kamchatka (2003/2010)

1. Is Harry right to feel grateful to the Salvatierra kids for what they taught him? How does this story relate to the Principle of Necessity? (236-37)
2. What is the lesson Harry learns from his attempt to save the baby opossums, with some help from his mother? (243-45)
3. Discuss the father-son dynamics in the novel. What is Harry’s relationship with his father like? What happens when they are on the boat at abuelo’s house? Why don’t they tell anyone what really happened?
4. What basic disagreement do Harry’s grandfather and his father have about the family staying together on the run? (257)
5. What does Harry come to understand about unhappy endings? How does this relate to the teachings of Catholicism? (274)
6. What do you think the narrator means by the last sentence on p. 274?
7. What does he mean when he says, “For many years, Kamchatka was my Avalon”? (277)
8. What does Ch. 74 explain to us about Harry’s motives for behaving like he did when Lucas told him good-bye? (279-82)
9. When Harry runs away for the day and returns to Buenos Aires to find Bertuccio, Bertuccio’s mother lies and says he’s not home. Why? What does Harry learn after this trip?
10. To what extend does the narrator realize the seriousness of what he has done by visiting Bertuccio’s house?
11. What personality traits do Harry and his father display during their final game of Risk? What is the significance of their leaving the last game unfinished? (290-92)
12. What is achieved by assuming the point of view of the toad in Ch. 77?
13. How does El Enano interpret his father’s comment that “the safe house has fallen through?” How does he embarrass his family in the restaurant? (297-99)
14. When they return to the quinta, what is symbolized by the encounter between Harry and the toad? (302-303)
15. How does Harry try to make up for not having said good-bye to Lucas? (305)
16. Who is the Flavia that Harry’s mother had named herself after, and what does it reveal about his mother? (306)
17. What are the last words that each of Harry’s parents tell him and what is their significance? (307)
18. Where do you imagine that Harry has been living over the past several years? (309)
19. Kamchatka is both a real place and a region in the game Risk. It is also the last word Harry’s father ever says to him. Discuss the role of Kamchatka in the book and what it symbolizes to Harry. Why do you think the author chose Kamchatka for the book’s title?