Revolutionary+Road+by+Richard+Gates

By Richard Yates
 * Revolutionary Road**

Ali, Kelsey, Katie and Max

Kelsey: 5 Questions Max: Food Katie: Reporter Ali: Discussion Leader
 * Week One:**

Kelsey: Discussion Leader Max: 5 Questions Katie: Food Ali: Recorder
 * Week Two:**

Kelsey: Recorder Max: Discussion Leader Katie: 5 Questions Ali: Food
 * Week Three:**

Kelsey: Food Max: Recorder Katie: Discussion Leader Ali: Questions
 * Week Four:**

Alison: Questions Max: Food Katie: Reporter Kelsey: Discussion Leader
 * Week Five**

//Discussion Questions - Week One:// 1. **During Frank and April’s fight, they say a lot of mean and awful things to each other and about each other. Do you think their true feelings are coming out through this fight, or do you believe they’re only saying those things because they’re so caught up in the argument and their anger?** The things they say are probably fueled by their emotions, not so much their resentment toward each other. We think they're both frustrated with their lives and not necessarily each other. They may think they feel that way, but really, it's probably mostly because they're just aggravated with the current state of their lives. 2. **Why do you think Frank feels the need to keep carrying on the conversation once April asks him to stop talking about it?** We think Frank keeps persisting because he wants to be able to help her and he is aggravated that he can't do anything. He doesn't think the conversation is, or should be, over. 3. **Do you think Frank ever regrets getting married to April and having a family with her or resents her? Do you think April feels differently about Frank?** We think they both regret the marriage and the family they had. The marriage was more of an impulse and spur of a moment thing, and their children were a mistake. They only had their second child to "prove that the first one wasn't a mistake". We think they believe that their marriage is actually a burden, but they don't actually resent //each other// as much as they do the marriage itself**.** 4. **Do you think any of Frank’s pain, depression, and frustration with April comes from his dad? How much of an affect do you think his father’s life had on his? Does the same apply for April and her parents?** Frank is more upset with himself than with April because he doesn't think he ever lived up to his full potential, and he thinks that could be because of his relationship with his dad. He actually wants to be closer with April because he didn't get to have a close relationship with his dad. April's depression probably was affected by her childhood and her parents, but she is trying to convince Frank as well as herself that it didn't negatively affect her. However, it is quite obvious that it did. 5. **Does April //actually// love Frank? Does she really love him only when he’s “nice” like she said, or does she really love him at all? Is it possible that April commonly says things she doesn’t mean?** We think that April thought she loved Frank at a point, but then once they rushed into their marriage and she realized what the marriage actually entailed, she also realized that maybe she didn't love him as much as she thought she did. She loves him when he's "nice" and it's "in the moment", but when it comes down to it, she really just has more of an obligation to him than she does a love for him. When April says cruel things to Frank, she thinks she means it at the time, but later realizes that maybe she doesn't. She's very impulsive and unfortunately says anything just to get her point across.

//Character Analysis- Week One//
 * Frank Wheeler**- Frank is a likable character because he is constantly trying to make amends with his difficult past and even rockier marriage. He automatically draws the reader in because he's suave and assertive and the typical masculine leading man.
 * April Wheeler**- April is automatically distant, cold and hard to relate to.

//Summary of the Meeting- Week One// Our first meeting, Friday, September 25, was very successful. The two people who needed to be prepared, Kelsey and Max, came to school prepared, but not seventh period. Kelsey still had her questions, but the food Max was supposed to bring in was stolen at lunch. Kelsey and I can both say that we saw him have the Oreos at the beginning of lunch, but they were not there as we were leaving. Since our group did not have food, Jess' group was generous enough to give us their leftover brownies. Everything else ran quite smoothly. Before we even started our discussion of the actual book, we all decided that the characters' relationships match our own in some ways This probably is not a good thing, since the Frank and April have been in a continuous fight since about page five. Kelsey started out the discussion by reading her discussion questions. Max said that he thinks that April is conveying her true feelings through the anger she shows Frank and that they're both very frustrated with their lives. When Kelsey asked her second question about why Frank keeps trying to talk to April, it was a general decision that he is only trying to help her by getting her to talk to him. As a group, we also decide that their relationship is not the same, and although they do love each other, they would rather not have had children do regret having a family. Ali said that Frank gets frustrated with April because he is really frustrated with himself because he never lived up to his full potential. Max added that Frank is scared of losing April like he lost his father. We all decide that Frank is the better spouse because even though he comes from a bad background and bad family, he tries his best in his marriage. April on the other hand, is mean to her husband even though he always tries to make it clear that he cares about her.

//Discussion Questions- Week 2:// 1. **Do you think that April and Frank's marriage is failing because of the things that Frank does, such as cheating on April, April's denial to talk to Frank, or a combination of both? Do you think that either one has a good reason for their actions?** Neither of the two have a good reason for the things they do and we agree that both of them are at blame for their failing marriage. 2. **In chapter 6, Frank cheated on April with Maureen and said that it was what he needed, but made it a one time thing. Do you think that cheating was actually what Frank needed? Do you think it will help or further destroy Frank's mindset towards April and their marriage?** Relationship wise, cheating on April was wrong and will hurt their marriage, but in a personal sense, Frank only convinced himself that he needed it, but he actually did not need to. However, Frank's actions helped the marriage. 3. **Why do you think that it was originally so hard for Frank to say "I'm sorry"? Where do you think this mindset came from?** Frank finds it hard to say sorry because he is trying to be a "man" and he has already convinced himself that he was not wrong. 4. **April keeps saying that she is giving Frank a great opportunity to find himself and have a great life that he is entitled to, but do you think that April's plan is more about herself than Frank? Do you think that she apologizes to Frank because she wants the plan to work or because she truly is sorry? Are all of the compliments a way of getting her way?** April wants to go all for herself. She is trying to get Frank to go with what she wants. She is truly sorry, but the plan to go to Europe is mostly about her. She is actually sorry, but does not necessarily know what she is sorry for. 5. **Why do you think that Frank asked April what she was sorry for if he knew? Why also do you think Frank agreed to go to Europe so quickly after he just heard of the plan and was very reluctant about it?** Frank still loves her and wants to convince her that he still cares. He goes along with the plan because he wants to resolve the fight and does not want to keep losing April. He wants to make April happy.

//Language Discussion// The language of //Revolutionary Road// is rather simple, but Richard Yates uses a lot of details and imagery, which isn't always necessary. However, the language is very sophisticated, and he's able to avoid using vulgarity even when describing sensual scenes. He uses a fair amount of dialogue, but mostly, the book is just text. The only time that this book is even //remotely// difficult to understand is when the characters are in a conversation, and Yates uses certain phrases and such that were used in the 40's. This doesn't exactly have to do with his writing, but more the time period that the novel is based in. Richard Yates really doesn't use difficult vocabulary though, which we all agree makes the book easier to read and more interesting. The audience the Yates was aiming for was definitely primarily women, probably middle-aged. Some men would enjoy this book, but overall, this emotional love story is rather "feminine", for lack of a better adjective. Although our group understands the book and the story well, it's probably aimed more at adults (middle-aged) because they can relate to April and Frank Wheeler's story better than a teenager.

//Meeting Report// Firstly, we ate the brownies Katie made for our group. They had not been stirred thoroughly enough. I thought they tasted okay but Katie, Kelsey and Max dubbed them “gross.” Katie said that she should never bring in the snacks again. We started off discussing Yate’s use of language. We all agreed that his simple language made the book far more comprehensible, though Max made a point that he sometimes elaborates too lengthily, especially in flashbacks. Next, we moved onto the discussion questions that Max wrote for us. Though the book was not his first choice, he is finding it adequate. We all agreed on his first question, that there was no justification for the failing marriage or the crimes they commit against each other. The second question was about how Frank rationalized cheating on April by saying he “needed it.” We all disagree with that. Thirdly, we talked about Frank’s reluctance to say sorry and we all agreed that he was acting like the stereotypical caricature of a “man.” We took a quick break for Max to complain to J.T about the book. Then we talked about whether April’s plan of moving to France was actually for Frank’s gain as she said, or selfishly. Kelsey bit her nail. Katie looked at me through her Vitamin Water bottle. Kelsey bit her nail more. She’s actually going to bite it off. Katie is finding this looking-through the bottle thing hilarious. We all agreed that Frank wanted to go to Europe to make April happy because he wants her to think that he cares. Whether he actually does care is up for debate. We don’t have enough insight into his thoughts. This concluded our session.

//Discussion Questions- Week Three// 1. **Jennifer is still very young. Why do you think that it is such a big deal for her that they are moving to France? She can tell that there is something going on between her parents and it is making her upset. Also, she's at one of those awkward ages, where she is just about to start school and she doesn't want to leave. ** 2. **Do you think that Frank still wants to move, even after Bart Pollack offered him a better job and more money if he were to stay? He wants to stay but he wants to move more because he wants to keep April happy and that is more important to him. ** 3. **Bart Pollack says that if he were to stay at Knox, it would be a "fine memorial and tribute to his dad." Do you think that this makes him want to stay more or less? It makes him want to stay more, but not as a tribute to his father, but as a way to be better than him. He wants to stay and beat his father at this job, but as we said in the previous question, he still wants to move to make April happy. ** 4. **When April tells Frank that she's pregnant, she also said that the plans are ruined and the move won't be the same now, however when Frank finds the abortion device, he gets very upset. Why do you think this is? Frank is still set on keeping his job and he doesn't want to move. He is also scared that April is going to hurt herself because the abortion device is really dangerous. ** 5. **How do you think the pregnancy is going to affect Frank and April's marriage? Will it bring them closer or do you think that it will tear them further apart? The pregnancy is going to tear them apart. Also, the pregnancy is going to hurt April and it probably will not be good for their marriage.

//Meeting Discussion// //Discuss the mood or tone of your book.What is the overriding emotion of this book? What examples back up your claim?// The tone or mood of the book is depressing because everything with April and Frank's marriage is going wrong. Frank wants to stay in America, especially after getting a promotion, but to keep April happy, he declines his boss' offer. Their daughter does not want to move either, but has to because April, her mother wants to. The tone is depressing because Frank and April's love is failing.

//Meeting Report// ** Ali brought in Halloween cupcakes. They’re okay. I don’t like frosting. But whatever. Okay. So. Katie just addressed Max as Carlin. I think she’s confused. Now. Max thinks that the daughter in Revolutionary Road doesn’t want to go to France because she doesn’t know how to speak French, but Katie and I said that we thought that it’s because she’s at an awkward age where she’s about to start school and she wants to stay with her friends and make new ones. The green tea is gone. We all agree that Frank wants to stay and accept the job Bart Pollack’s job instead of go to France, but he will go to France to make April happy. Max doesn’t know what his job his. Perfect. Katie’s having issues with bolding. I think that the fact that staying at Knox would be a tribute to Frank’s dad makes him want to stay there less, but Ali thinks that she thinks that he wants to be superior and better than his dad and that he wants to stay because of it. The topic of self-abortion came up. Ali and I are really uncomfortable. Katie’s question is making us think. None of us are sure why Frank doesn’t want April to have an abortion. Ali, Katie, and I have decided that we think it’s because he doesn’t want to go to France and because he doesn’t want her to hurt herself. We all agreed that the baby that Frank and April may or may not have is going to make their lives much more difficult. Frank and April will be miserable and so will the new baby (if born). Mr. Morone just came over and asked about nudity on Tumblr. Now we are discussing the tone of the book. Katie thinks the book is dark, but I’d say it’s more depressing than dark. The book makes Katie really upset, as well as the rest of us. Overall the book’s depressing and makes us sad, and we all agree on that.

//Discussion Questions- Week Four// Frank is still happy because he got what he wanted. Even though he used underhanded and manipulative ways to get it, it was hard work, mentally, and it was still satisfying. It was a guilty conscience, but not because he felt sorry. It was selfish, it was just weighing down on him, so he did it to make himself feel better. It wasn't a similar thing. They were both intoxicated and Shep loved her. April is doing it out of spite, but Frank was doing it to fill a void. It will not haunt her because of her underhanded motives. It was a statement about their relationship, as opposed to a broader statement about mental illness. They need a simple, not convoluted perspective to clear things up. She's being sincere but she doesn't know what she talking about. She thinks she means what she's saying.
 * 1. Do you think Frank is satisfied with April's final decision about the abortion? Though he got what he wanted, do you think he is fulfilled because of the means he got it by?**
 * 2. Why do you think Frank felt so inclined to end things with Maureen? The most obvious motive is guilt, but he didn't seem to possess a guilty conscience; do you think he had another reason?**
 * 3. Do you think April's tryst with Shep served a similar emotional purpose to Frank's with Maureen? Do you think it will haunt her as his infidelity did to him?**
 * 4. Though John Givings is obviously considered mental unstable and a dangerous person, he often serves as the voice of reason. Do you think this is a statement about the nature of Frank and April's problems--that is, that a very blunt forceful statement is the only way to cut through their thick layer of confusion and resentment-- or do you think Yates mean as it as a statement about the nature of mental illness itself?**
 * 5. The conflict between them comes to a point when April says she doesn't love Frank. Does she mean what she says and it is true that she does not love him? Or is it possible that she can be wholly sincere but wrong about her feelings?**

//Meeting Discussion:// One of the themes is relationship issues, and this represents their power struggle. Frank wants the power because he's the man, but April thinks that she should have it because she's a control freak and wants to control him. Another theme, is that all of the characters in the book seem speak without thinking about what they're saying. Also, there seems to be a lot of regret in this book. They regret children, they regret being married, they regret Frank not taking the job, and they regret not going to Paris. **
 * //Discuss the themes and images that your book contains. What are some of the images that are used? What do they seem to represent? Why do you think the author uses these images to convey his or her meaning?//

//Reporter Summary:// We started off by eating delicious cheesecake squares made by Kelsey with love. Ali began the book discussion by asking and discussing her questions. We talked about if Frank is happy in the book. Kelsey believes that he is happy because he got what he wants. We also discussed why Frank was so inclined to end things with Maureen. Kelsey also said that Frank had a guilty conscience. Next we discussed April’s tryst with Shep and we came to the conclusion that it will not haunt her as it did Frank with Maureen. Question number 4 was about one of the character’s mental illnesses. The answer to the question was that Frank and April need a simple perspective and then things would clear up. Last, April says that she does not love Frank. We decided that although April is being sincere about what she says, but does not truly know what she is talking about. Next we went to Katie and discussed the themes throughout the book. The two themes we found were relationship issues and the abortion, which represented a power struggle because both Frank and April wanted the say in whether they have the abortion or not. Another theme is words before thoughts and how April and Frank say things to each other that they don’t necessarily mean. April says that she doesn’t love Frank, but we don’t think that she thought it through before saying it or means it. One of the biggest themes that we discussed was regret.

//Discussion Questions- Week Five// He didn't deserve it even though he held them in such contempt. He was just saying his opinion and what happened to him was tragic and undeserved. Yes, she was escaping consequences that she wasn't mature enough to deal with. She was being a coward. It's hard to respect either of them at the end, but Frank rises slightly above April. Though he gave up in a different way, he didn't give up on life itself. This is sort of like the psychoanalytic criticism--it gives an insight to Yates's feelings about relationships and love the futility of trying to make some of them work. The book left the reader depressed and with a strong impression of Yates's view of human relationships.
 * 1. Did Frank deserve his ultimate lot in life, becoming one of the drones which he held in such contempt?**
 * 2. Do you think April was scared or weak to have done what she did?**
 * 3. At the end of story, who do you respect more-- April or Frank?**
 * 4. What do you think is the message Yate's is sending with the depressing ending?**
 * 5. What overall impression did it leave you with?**

//Meeting Discussion// We all agree that this is not a book we’d recommend to our peers. Although the book itself is not bad, it’s a very mature subject matter and the depressing nature of it is hard for younger people to relate to. We would not want younger adults thinking that this is how all lives end up. The main theme and topic of this is book is dysfunctional relationships, and this is a common theme seen in many other books. “The Dinner Party” is very similar to Revolutionary Road. Even though it’s a different story and time period, the theme of a dysfunctional male/female relationship and the affect that partners have on their opposites is evident in both. This book definitely should not be on the school’s curriculum. It is very well written and interesting enough, but it is not a book that would appeal to many teenagers. Very few would be able to relate to it, and it gives a very negative perspective on life and relationships. Personally, we didn’t like the message that this book sent us. We enjoyed the book and its content, but we don’t think that it’s very teenage-appropriate.

//Meeting Report As usual, we started off our meeting by eating the Oreos that Max brought. We didn't really do too much talking, we were just kind of eating. We didn't actually start talking until we started talking about the book. Ali wrote the questions, so we started off with her questions, then moved on to Kelsey's asking of the meeting discussion question. // We all agree that Frank got what he deserved with the death of his wife. We also all agreed that April was not being a coward by killing herself, she was just trying to escape the things that she could no longer deal with. Kelsey said that she thinks that the end is somewhat like psychoanalytic criticism. Kelsey also said that the book shows the author's view of how relationships work in the real world, which we all agreed with. When we were asked if we would recommend this to our peers, we all agreed that we would not because it is much too mature. Max stated that he thought it was similar to //The Dinner Party//, to which we all agreed. The novel also demonstrates a very dysfunctional relationship. Again, we all agreed that this should not ever be considered for the school curriculum for many reasons, but some being that it is too heavy and it is not really teenage-appropriate. After the discussion and after Kelsey and Ali made their posts, Ali went back to fix something and she deleted our Wikispace. Obviously she got it back. It was like magic. She doesn't know how she erased it or got it back. Whatever, at least its back.