The Frozen River

In the Author’s Note, Lawhon admits to tweaking the historical narrative significantly for the purposes of her story; several central plot points, such as Burgess’s murder, are entirely fabricated. Discuss historical license and the ethics of writing historical fiction? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

What purpose does the rhetorical device of Martha’s journal entries serve in the narrative? How is the tone and voice of the journal entries distinct from the tone and voice of the rest of Lawhon’s prose?

Consider the novel’s structure: six sections, each of which ends in a flashback chapter. Why do you think each section of the book takes its name from the corresponding flashback chapter, rather than from events taking place in present day of the story? How do Lawhon’s structural choices support the novel’s themes?

Read Laura Thatcher Ulrich’s landmark study of Martha Ballard’s journal, A Midwife’s Tale (1990), and compare Ulrich’s portrayal of Martha to Lawhon’s. How do these two visions of the same historical figure differ and why? Cite specific examples from each text to support your argument.

Lawhon gives almost all of the animal characters (and some of the human characters) in The Frozen River symbolic names. Select once such name and analyze its symbolic relevance to the story. In what ways does the name’s significance underscore the novel’s themes?

How is justice defined in The Frozen River? How do the various characters’ understanding of justice differ, and how do these differences impact the events of the story? What critiques of the American justice system does the novel raise and how do these critiques contribute to the novel’s thematic interest in The Courtroom as a Theatrical Spectacle?

Ariel Lawhon brings a modern feminist perspective to a character from the 18th century but asserts that her portrayal of Martha is nonetheless “plausible.” Identify points in the novel where 21st century and 18th century feminism intersect. Do you find the feminism of the novel to be as “plausible” as Lawhon claims? In what ways does Lawhon employ elements of contemporary feminism to shed light on the Puritan Shame Culture and Gender Oppression of 18th-century New England.

Several of the characters in The Frozen River have physical and psychological disabilities. Select one such character, and research the experiences of people with that disability in the 18th century. How do your findings align with the experiences of the characters in the novel? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.