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When She Woke


"Jordan blends hot-button issues such as separation of Church and State, ...
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How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

Created: 10/21/12

Replies: 12

Posted Oct. 21, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert

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Posts: 0

How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

Hannah's character arc - from sheltered, obedient Evangelical Christian to frightened fugitive to independent woman with her own notions of faith and sexuality - is enormous. How do you think such stigmatization, hardship, and fear would transform you?


Posted Oct. 23, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janeh

Join Date: 06/15/11

Posts: 222

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

I simply cannot put myself in her shoes. I have no idea how you could react any differently than she did with her upbringing and the state of society as outlined in the book. In fact, she came off rather brave considering her past and the state of the world. And isn't it these brave people who finally help change the course of the world? They are willing to stick their neck out and take a stand, saying "this is wrong and should not be tolerated" and keep saying it until things begin to change. Even little changes help move the world in a different direction.


Posted Oct. 23, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebajane

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 320

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

I honestly don't know. As I was reading, I tried to step back at point where she was forced to make a decision and I couldn't do it. As an introvert, just the idea of being red and standing out and being stared out made me weak in the knees. I admired her strength


Posted Oct. 24, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ylhoff

Join Date: 10/23/12

Posts: 85

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

Being a more enterprising person, I would have been more inclined not to make some of the really obvious bad decisions she made. But she was unstoppable and I have to admire that.


Posted Oct. 24, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebajane

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 320

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

But do you think some of her decisions are obvious only as readers looking on? Most of my bad decisions in life are those I have had to make on the fly or those that I have had to make under stress


Posted Oct. 24, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ylhoff

Join Date: 10/23/12

Posts: 85

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

Yes, to some extent. Although I know I had better sense at 21 than she did. I came out of a cult and came out wiser and a lot less trusting of people. So I guess that kind of skews my sympathy in that regard. Actually, if I think about it, I've made more bad decisions in my 40s than in my 20s!


Posted Oct. 25, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
carmen s

Join Date: 04/27/11

Posts: 33

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

Not sure, I don't think I could have gone through all that and lost my family and not named Aiden.


Posted Oct. 28, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bettyt

Join Date: 05/12/11

Posts: 228

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

I think I would have had the same determination she had. Like her, I'm sure I would have made some mistakes along the way. But I often look back at where I came from at 17 and am amazed that I am where I am now. It really took determination and courage and a lot of risk-taking. But you can either stay in "known" that you find unacceptable or take those risks for something that couldn't really be any worse. To me, that was a no-brainer. And I think it was to Hannah also.


Posted Oct. 28, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
terriej

Join Date: 07/28/11

Posts: 422

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

I would have been very angry, so may have been able to step away from my family to try to have a normal life. I'm not sure what I would have done about Aiden. Giving him up because you love him so much is realistic, but it would be hard to continue the lovewhen he didn't step up to save her in the beginning.


Posted Nov. 02, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jeannew

Join Date: 04/23/11

Posts: 118

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

Having always been a "good, little girl" my mind can't even conceive of these things happening to me. I'd like to think that I could have been as strong as Hannah but I don't think I would have been.


Posted Nov. 03, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
kate

Join Date: 01/22/11

Posts: 95

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

I am not sure that I would of been so protective of Aiden and taken all of the repercussions by myself. I understood why she protected the Dr. who preformed the abortion, but wasn't so sure why she was so set in protecting Aiden. Yes, I know that she loved him, but come on! He had absolutely no consequences.


Posted Nov. 05, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Lea Ann

Join Date: 04/20/11

Posts: 99

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

Oh, my. What a good question. Or at least, IMO, it's a good question because it requires me to question myself; to think seriously about my answer. Like Jeannew, I've always been a compliant person, one who doesn't "rock the boat." I probably would be so demoralized by finding myself in such a situation that I'd be more robot like than self-preserving. This question takes more thought.


Posted Nov. 05, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Navy Mom

Join Date: 04/12/12

Posts: 294

RE: How do you think you would react in Hannah's shoes?

I am trying to think about this as I would have when I was in my early twenties. I think I was pretty independent then. I am not so sure I would have had the abortion. I have a strong belief about that and I think I would have cherished the child. I do think I would not have involved Aiden. I would have been able to keep him out of it. But if there had been a child Aiden may have also acted differently. I would have been able to walk away from my family and the church. I moved away from home at 19 and my mom was so angry she didn't talk to me for three years. So if I was angry with them I would have been able to do that. Hannah was already removed from the church in a sense because of the clothes she made. She was already questioning. You could see that in the way she was different from her sister's acceptance of her husband.


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