Goodbye, Vitamin

How does the author employ humor as a tool in a text with otherwise heavy themes, and how does the humor affect the reader’s experience?

Howard’s journal and letters to Ruth are important symbols in the text. How does the author use these letters to add dimension to Howard’s character, and how do these letters help the reader better understand Ruth and Howard’s relationship?

An important theme in the text is subjectivity in relationships. How does this manifest in the relationships between the characters?

Ruth and her brother, Linus, had quite different experiences growing up. How do their individual experiences shape their relationship with their parents?

Memory is important to the text not only because of Howard’s illness but in Ruth’s childhood memories that come back to her in her year at home. What role does memory play in shaping how Ruth views her parents in the present?

How does Ruth use cooking to feel connected to her father? How do her recipes–and representations of food in general–develop throughout the text and represent her desire to exert control over her father’s illness symptoms?

Howard is a flawed character who has made many mistakes. How do his family members navigate their anger with his past actions as well as their enduring love for him, especially as his illness progresses?

The title of the text, Goodbye, Vitamin, comes from a scene in which Ruth watches her father take his daily vitamin regimen. What is the significance of this scene, and why do you think the author chose to incorporate it into the title?