Chris Crutcher Website: http://www.chriscrutcher.com/
Teachers Pay Teachers Unite Plan: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Whale-Talk-by-Chris-Crutcher-Complete-Study-Unit-1880152
Chris Crutcher grew up in Cascade, Idaho, “a town so small
that a local athletic competition would bring business to a standstill.” Just
like the characters in his books, Crutcher’s life was full of athletic
competition, including swimming, which he participated in at the college level.
According to his autobiography, Crutcher often questioned authority,
underperformed in school, and grew up with a violent temper. Perhaps because of
these challenges, Crutcher pursued a degree in psychology with a minor in
sociology, and eventually became an educator. In addition to his jobs as a high
school social studies teacher, a school administrator, and a mental health
therapist, Crutcher also taught in urban and alternative schools for at-risk
youth, before he became a child and family therapist.
Selected Discussion Questions https://multcolib.org/whale-talk
1. T.J. says he believes “there are no
black swimmers in the swimming hall of fame because swimming is no damn fun.”
What do you make of his attitude towards swimming and the swim team?
2. T.J. praises his girlfriend Carly as
being perfect for him, since she “requires so little.” Do you agree with T.J.’s
judgment? Why or why not? What about the other girls and women in T.J.’s
story-Alicia, Kristen Sweetwater, T.J.’s mom? Do they seem to require any more
than Carly does?
3. Besides being a writer, Whale Talk
author Chris Crutcher is also a family therapist and child protection
specialist. Did you notice some places in the book where the family therapist
kind of “takes over” from the writer? Does this intrude on the story so that it
seems preachy or does Crutcher make it fit in? How does the information about
battered women, abused children and desperate men help you understand the
characters’ behavior?
4. What do you think of Georgia’s
decision to turn first Heidi, then Alicia and her boys-whom T.J. calls “Thing
One and Thing Two”-over to T.J.’s family? To what extent does this decision
cause the tragic climax of the book?
5. Whale Talk can be looked at as a
novel about growing up. In what ways do the events of the story change T.J.
from the boy he was to the man he becomes-the man telling the story?
Selected Discussion Questions http://www.chriscrutcher.com/uploads/1/0/9/8/1098293/whale_talk_aasl_discussion_guide.pdf
1. How would you characterize T.J.’s
relationships with the other boys on the swim team? Are they his friends? Apart
from the swim team, does T.J. have any friends at Cutter High?
2. One of the themes of the book is the
danger of stereotypes. Do you think Crutcher was able to develop characters
that existed beyond stereotypes? How were female characters in the book
represented? What about the other members of the Cutter All-Night Mermen?
3. Based on the definition given by
T.J.’s father, and by the explanation given by Crutcher himself, what are all
the instances in the book where characters communicate through whale talk?
4. How does the setting of the story in
rural Washington add to the plot? Could the novel take place in another rural
area? How would it be different if it took place in an urban area?
5. There are many tragedies in the book,
but it manages to remain upbeat. How does Crutcher combine humor and tragedy
throughout the book?
6. Is T.J. a rebel in the mold of Huck
Finn and Holden Caulfield? Is he heroic or a threat? How would you respond to
T.J. if he were a student in your class?
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