50 pages • 1 hour read
Will HobbsJason's Gold
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1999A 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
Occasional historical interludes in the novel are omniscient in viewpoint and include information outside of Jason’s perspective. What is the effect of including these passages? In what way does the style in which they are written contribute to the overall tone of the book?
Jason encounters many wild animals in the text. Choose one and explain what it represents.
Seattle is a brief but important setting in the text. What is its significance?
What does the Yukon River symbolize in the context of the Klondike gold rush? Consider its various features such as lakes, rapids, ice, canyons, and current speed.
Many who went north for gold in the late 1880s had romantic notions of the task at hand. What details regarding Dyea and Skagway convey the realism of the gold rush?
How does Hobbs portray Indigenous people?
How do the seasons of the year align with major plot points? How does the mood and atmosphere of the narrative change with the changing seasons?
Jack London meets Jason infrequently throughout the novel, whereas Charlie becomes a consistent companion with whom Jason spends most days from fall until spring. How do these secondary characters contribute in different ways to the overall narrative? What sides of Jason’s character are revealed through his friendship with each?
Reflect on Jason’s reaction to the goldfields when he finally sees them. How is his attitude ironic? What is Hobbs indicating about the Klondike gold rush by writing a novel filled with ironies?
Review the lines of Homer’s poetry performed aloud by Jamie in Chapters 25 and 27. How do the images and sentiments in the poems represent Jason’s experiences, based on the events of the novel?
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By Will Hobbs
