Whale Talk

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Daoism (also spelled “Taoism”) is an ancient philosophical tradition that originated in China. List five things you think might be true about Daoism. Label each “know for sure” or “just guessing.”

Teaching Suggestion: Whale Talk’s main character, T.J., goes by a nickname because he is often teased about his legal first name, “The Dao.” Late in the novel, T.J. decides that his actions throughout the story have allowed him to live up to this name; students are unlikely to understand this aspect of his characterization and the philosophy the book is centering without a solid understanding of the basic ideas of Daoism. Although some students may already have this prior knowledge, it is likely that many will not. The resources listed below offer a general introduction to Daoism as well as in-depth coverage of two key Daoist ideas that are particularly relevant to Whale Talk. After students complete their initial responses to the prompt, you might offer them these resources and then give them time to add to or revise their responses.

• This article from Columbia University offers a brief overview of Daoism and its origins.
• This 5-minute video from The School of Life explores the Daoist idea of wu wei.
• This 4-minute video from TED-Ed explains the Daoist concept of yin-yang.

2. What does it mean to feel “entitled” to something? Are there things that people have a right to feel entitled to? What are some things people are wrong to feel entitled to?

Teaching Suggestion: Many of the conflicts in Whale Talk stem from disagreements about what characters are or are not entitled to. This prompt is intended to ensure that all students understand the term thoroughly before they begin reading; the resources listed below can be offered after an initial response to the prompt, to add nuance to students’ understanding. As a follow-up, you might ask students why reasonable people might disagree in their answers to the questions in this prompt. You might also ask how a Daoist might respond to entitlement.

• This article, hosted by WebMD, describes how a sense of entitlement can interfere with happiness and life satisfaction.
• This article from the University of Virginia discusses the impacts a sense of entitlement can have on society.
• This article from Cornell University offers a nuanced discussion of the sources of entitlement and its pros and cons.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What do you think are the right and wrong ways to correct injustices? How far is it acceptable to go to protect other people from harm?

Teaching Suggestion: Another primary concern of Crutcher’s book is T.J.’s process of learning about effective and moral ways to intervene when people are being mistreated. This prompt is well-suited to class or small-group discussion; you can extend such a discussion by asking what happens when people disagree about whether something is “just” or “unjust” and whether something is genuinely harmful or not. In the case where people disagree, how might the controversy affect students’ answers to these prompt questions?