![]() ![]() She has said that she used her own name because she wanted to acknowledge the reality of certain deeply troubling emotions, particularly anger, that she has experienced while caring for dying people whom she loved. Though The Spare Room is a novel, Helen Garner is often asked why she and the narrator have the same name. What is the best measure of a life? What sorts of “families” do we create for ourselves through friendships? Discuss the two kinds of lives illustrated by Nicola and Helen. In chapter seven, Nicola fears that she has wasted her life, comparing herself to Helen, who is close to her family. ![]() How would you describe the friendship between Helen and Nicola? Are they compatible in very many ways? Are they honest with each other? Which friend would you turn to in a similar situation? How does Helen Garner balance humor with the raw reality faced by her characters? What is universal about the way humans handle their own mortality? At what point is Nicola able to accept that her illness is terminal? Is it better to know the outcome of our lives, with an opportunity for a long goodbye? What are its rewards, and its difficulties? Would you have allowed a friend like Nicola to stay with you until the very end? Beyond the guest room in Helen’s home, are there other images the title The Spare Room brings to mind? How much room, energy, and patience does the narrator, Helen, have to spare?ĭiscuss your own experiences with caregiving. ![]()
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