Summer 2001 (Class of 2005): I Am One of You Forever by Fred Chappell (1987)

Book Description- from Publishers Weekly
"Fred Chappell's I Am One of You Forever is a perfect balance of fantasy, tall tale, and fact. Written in extraordinary lucid prose, this novel describes the experiences of a boy growing up in North Carolina in the 1940s. Through a series of family vignettes that circle a central unspoken tragedy, Chappell combines dramatic and lyrical talents to produce a high-spirited elegy.-Thomas Carlson, Southern Magazine (as printed in the 1985 edition)

more about I Am One of Your Forever

Discussion Questions

1. Jess Kirkman, a white boy growing up as an only child in a farm family in Western North Carolina in the 1940s, has a different family background than UNC Asheville's freshmen. Which parts of his story seem peculiar to his life? Which are "universal" or at least common to other who do not share his circumstances?

2. "'There's different kinds of education,' my father said" (page 163). We read nothing about Jess' schooling. What kinds of education does he receive in this novel? What important lessons does he learn? Do you recognize in them any aspects of your own "educational" experience?

3. Many people think the function of a novel is to be realistic, and there are many parts of I Am One of You Forever which probably give an accurate account of a kind of life in the 1940s. But other parts of the novel are fantasy. Why do you think Chappell chose to include them?

4. Why is Johnson Gibbs so important to Jess and his family?

5. I Am One of You Forever is sometimes called a "coming of age" novel. The main character undergoes experiences that lead him toward maturity. Do you believe he is more mature at the end of the book, and if so, how? Is it true that loss is an essential part of the growing up process?

6. Though a short book, I Am One of You Forever includes important themes, including family, love, death, and the importance of the past. What does Chappell seem to say about them?

7. What do you make of all the storytelling in this novel? Is that just a feature of life among people who lack television?

8. What does the ending mean? Presumably Johnson Gibbs' question is answered in the title of the book, but what is he talking about? Why might Chappell have chosen to end the book in this fairly open way?

9. Do you find this book funny? sad? a mixture? Try to account for your reaction.