Reading Schedule
	Day	Date	Chapters	Pages	Time
Part I	1	Mon, Oct 7	Pro - 1	13	27
	2	Tue, Oct 8	2	11	25
	3	Wed, Oct 9	3-4	15	39
	4	Thu, Oct 10	5	12	32
	5	Fri, Oct 11	6	13	31

	6	Mon, Oct 14	7-8	20	38
	7	Tue, Oct 15	Silent Discussion
	8	Wed, Oct 16	9-11	19	35

	10	Mon, Oct 21	13	8	22
	11	Tue, Oct 22	14	9	23
	12	Wed, Oct 23	15	9	25
	13	Thu, Oct 24	16	8	20
Part I Quiz
Part II	14	Fri, Oct 25	17-18	12	32

	15	Mon, Oct 28	19-20	14	32
	16	Tue, Oct 29	Part I Presentations
	17	Wed, Oct 30	21-22	16	35
	18	Thu, Oct 31	23-24	16	39

	19	Mon, Nov 4	25-27	16	41
	20	Tue, Nov 5	28-29	16	40
Part II Quiz
Part III	22	Wed, Nov 6	30-31	17	43.5
	23	Thu, Nov 7	32-34	13	36
	24	Fri, Nov 8	35-36	14	35.5
		Sat, Nov 9
	25	Mon, Nov 11	37-38	13	40
	26	Tue, Nov 12	39-40	8	20
	27	Wed, Nov 13	Silent Discussion
Part III Test

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Helpful Resources

Official Website : Tara Westover has an official website where you can find more information about her and her book. The website also includes links to interviews, articles, and reviews.

Book Reviews: You can find numerous reviews of Educated on websites such as Goodreads and Amazon. These reviews provide insights into readers' experiences and opinions on the book.

Drew’s review is particularly interesting (he is Tara’s boyfriend in the book)
Tyler Westover’s review of his sister’s book

Interviews: Tara Westover has given several interviews discussing her book and her personal journey. Here are

a few interviews you can check out:

Articles: Several articles have been published since the book came out. People often want to know what her family thinks of the book.

Other Family Info: In 2020, Tara’s mother published her own account of raising her children in a book called Educating. The mother has published quite a few books, in fact, and continues her oil business as well.

Audiobook Playlist on YouTube

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Response to Resources

What resources did you explore? *

What did you learn from the sources? *

How did this enhance or add to the book? *

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Westover Family Tree

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Prologue and Ch. 1

Focus: Characterization and Setting

Prologue: What is the Indian Princess? How does Westover personify the mountain or make it seem like a character (be specific)? If the mountain were an actual character, which characteristics would be used to describe it? Why? What does the reader learn about Tara’s family in the Prologue? List as many details as you can. Chapter One: Chapter one opens with “My strongest memory is not a memory. It’s something I imagined, then came to remember as if it had happened.” What does she mean by that? What real-life incident spurred her “memory?” Why was it so embedded in her brain? Near the beginning of chapter one, Tara’s dad reads to his family from the Bible. What does he read to them and what affect does it have on their family? What does this say about their father? What does it tell us about the rest of the family? How would you characterize Mr. Westover? What does Grandma-down-the-hill offer Tara? Why? What does this say about her? What does Tara decide? What does this say about her? How does the account Tara’s dad tells them about Ruby Ridge differ from what really happened? What affect does the Ruby Ridge incident have on the Westover family?

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Chapter 2

Focus: Complex Characters

Before Reading: Look up the term Complex Character. Provide a link here. Paraphrase the term in your own words: During Reading: Note moments in the memoir when Mrs. Westover (Tara’s mother) acts in Tara’s interest and when she does not. Write notes here: After Reading: Using textual evidence, characterize Mrs. Westover. How do her different characteristics conflict? (In other words, what makes her complex?)

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Chapter 3

Focus: Characterization & Informative Writing

Contrast the picture of young Gene with the father Tara knows. Cite the text in MLA format: Carefully read this informative text: Bipolar Disorder. Take notes here: Informative Writing: Using Educated and the above article, explain in a well-written paragraph how Mr. Westover exhibits signs of the disorder. Use at least one quote from the book and cite page numbers.

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Chapter 4

What moment strikes you as most significant in this passage? * Find a striking moment in which the author manipulates syntax. Cite it and explain why it is effective. * What phrases does the author use to connect the Apache Tears Legend to her own story? Why do you suppose she places this connection at the end of the chapter? * What is the connection between the Apache Tears Legend and Tara Westover’s narrative? Why does she even tell this story? * She writes, “A decade later my understanding would shift, part of my heavy swing into adulthood, and after that the accident would always make me think of the Apache women.” Why does she think of the Apache women when she recalls that accident? * What is the mood (atmosphere) of this piece? What details help the author establish it? * What is Tara Westover’s tone in this piece? Cite the text to defend your answer. * Big Take-Away: When reading a memoir, narrative, or fiction, stop and ask yourself why certain stories or descriptions are included. Always pay particular attention to the closing of chapters. The author stopped there for a reason.

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Chapter 5

Focus: Complex Characters and Theme

Since this is Tara Westover’s autobiography, she is the main protagonist. Does Tyler serve as a protagonist or antagonist? Explain.� How is Tyler different from the rest of the family? How does his relationship with Tara develop in this chapter? List three objects that Tara associates with Tyler. Explain their significance. How does the author develop the topic of education in this chapter?

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Chapter 6

Focus: Allusion

Look up the term Allusion and provide your link here:

Chapter 6 takes its title from Psalms 35:2. Read the verse in the NIV and KJV below:

Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. (NLT)

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. (KJV)

Given the events of this chapter, why is the Biblical allusion ironic?

Mr. Westover says, “Don’t worry, honey...God and his angels are here, working right alongside us. They won’t let you be hurt.”

How are Mr. Westover’s words meant to reflect the allusion of the shield and buckler? Why is it ironic that he says this?

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Chapters 1-8 - Titles Analysis

Focus: Titles as Allusions

Chapter	Chapter Title	Explanation of Title
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For each chapter below, write the title, and then explain why the title fits the events/details found in the chapter.

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Chapters 10-14 - Shawn Westover Analysis

Tara’s brother Shawn is arguably the most dangerous and abusive member of her family. After reading chapters 10-14 in the memoir, answer the questions below and then create a list of quotes showing the contradicting behaviors he displays.

What parts of his upbringing help to create the Shawn that is demonstrated in the memoir? Why does his upbringing affect him differently than his siblings? What do they have in common?
What traits does Shawn share with his father, Gene? How is their view of the role of women similar?
Tara tries to laugh off her brother’s behavior when he starts being abusive to her, and tries to rationalize why he is doing the things he’s doing. What does this say about Tara? How does she view herself? Her role in the family? How does it affect Shawn’s behavior towards her?
Using Ch. 9-16, find specific textual examples of kindness and cruelty as shown by Shawn Westover.

Examples of Kindness	Examples of Cruelty
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Chapters 23-25

Focus:

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Chapters 26-29

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Chapters 30-31

Part Three begins with Tara returning to Cambridge to begin work on her PhD. What familiar patterns emerge? What does Tara realize when she digs deep into essays by Mill and Wollstonecraft? How is this a change for her?

In Chapter 31 Tara’s relationship with her sister Audrey begins to change. Why? Why does their mother get involved? Why is Tara happy about this at first?

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Chapters 32-35

Grandma-down-the-hill dies in Ch. 32. What effect does this have on Gene? On Faye? Why does Faye hug Tara at the end of the chapter?

In Ch. 33, Tara returns home for Christmas again, and Shawn seems different. How has he “changed?” What shows Tara that he has not?

Tara talks to her dad about Shawn in Ch. 34. How does Gene react when she tells him about Shawn threatening her and Audrey? What does Shawn do?

How does Tara “lose” her family in Ch. 35? What effects does this have on her? Who is Erin? How does she help?

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Chapters 36-39

In Chapter 36, Tara’s parents visit her at Harvard. Why did they come? What did Tara decide? Why? How does this affect her?

Describe Tara’s mental state in Ch. 37. What physical symptoms of stress and depression does she begin to demonstrate? What does she decide at the end of the chapter? Why?

How and why does Tara start to feel like herself again in Ch. 38? What role does Tyler play in her recovery?

Tara tries to see her mother in Ch. 39, but she doesn’t - why not? What is the state of her family at the end of the chapter? Who does she talk to? Who doesn’t she talk to? Why?

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Chapters 39-40

Chapter 39 is titled “Educated,” just like the memoir. What has Tara learned that makes her feel “educated?” How has she changed?

On page 328 she says, “But what has come between me and my father is more than time or distance. It is a change in the self. I am not the child my father raised, but he is the father who raised me.” What does she mean by that?

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