Apple: Skin to the Core

Apple draws heavily from the discography of The Beatles. Does this choice enrich the text? Why or why not? Reference the book’s themes when developing your answer.

Several poems in this memoir discuss names and nicknames. Develop this motif further in an essay. Why are names significant for Gansworth? How does the motif of names contribute to the memoir’s themes?

The memoir includes allusions to several Haudenosaunee cultural practices, including various dances, a naming ceremony, traditional foods, and agricultural practices. Research these traditions (or, if you are Haudenosaunee, compare Gansworth’s experiences to your own). Write an essay about what you learn.

Gansworth has written several other texts about life on a reservation. Compare and contrast his depiction of reservation life in Apple and in another text like Indian Summers.

In the memoir’s “Dog Street” section, each poem ends with a brief rhyming piece that adds further detail. Each of these pieces aligns in rhythm and rhyme scheme with a Beatles song. Why did Gansworth chose to use rhyme only in these sections? How does this choice contribute to the memoir as a whole?

Gansworth titled his memoir Apple as both a reference to the derogatory term and to The Beatles (whose record label was Apple). Consider the dual motifs of music and skin in the text. Write an essay analyzing how each motif links to the book’s title and themes.

Apple is in many ways a coming-of-age memoir. Consider Gansworth’s identity at the beginning and end of the book. Write a brief essay charting his character growth. In what ways does he change? How does he stay the same?

Compare and contrast this memoir with another text that has similar themes. Some options include Bad Indians by Deborah Miranda or The Education of Augie Merasty by Joseph Auguste Merasty and David Carpenter.