1. What is the significance of the title When the Finch Rises?

2. Do you think the setting of the novel is symbolic? Could this story have taken place somewhere else?

3. Commenting on how Evelyn's illness drives him crazy, Ray says of their home and their lives, "Ain't much choice here, is there?" What effect does choice have on each character in the novel? Do you think fate plays a role as well?

4. How do you think the photograph of Rodney Small's lynching affects Raybert and Palmer? Would it be better if they had never seen the photograph?

5. Ray "remained in love with Momma through it all. He just never knew what he was supposed to do when she became ill." What are the limits of love in the novel? How do the characters express their love?

6. Some very specific historical and social events are mentioned in the novel. How do they advance the novel's plot? What do they reveal about the characters?

7. When Palmer and Raybert visit the place where Rodney Small was lynched, they witness something no one else seems to experience at that time, the return of the finches to Finch Creek. After they experience the amazing flight of the finches, Palmer states, "I think this whole show might be Rodney Small thanking us for just coming out here and looking around. Maybe he's saying don't worry about me anymore." What does this experience have to do with their feelings about the lynching? How does this reflect the theme of redemption and forgiveness in the novel?

8. Why does Ray plant a new lawn for Evelyn? As Evelyn watches Ray work on the new lawn, she waits "silently for him to fail." Why do you think he fails throughout the novel? Is Ray a character that you sympathize with? Why or why not?

9. Inez Palmer's lover Edgar calls Raybert and Palmer "faggots" when he discovers them hiding in Palmer's closet. What role does sexual ambiguity and identity play in the novel? How would you describe Raybert and Palmer's friendship?

10. Raybert stays with Aunt Iris and Uncle Clewell for over a month. Do you think this visit adds to or detracts from the novel's plot? Why?

11. Why is Palmer so upset at Raybert when he shoots and kills the finch with his new BB gun? After Raybert kills the finch, he apologizes to Palmer, who comments, "It's in your blood. You can't do nothing about it. Just don't do it again or you might not be able to stop." What does he mean? What role does physical violence play in the novel?

12. Do you think Palmer's birthmark is symbolic? Of what?

13. What do you think of Raybert's mother? Is she a likeable character? Why or why not?

14. What is the symbolic significance of Raybert's finally making the bicycle jump at the end of the novel? Do you think the story has a happy ending? Why or why not?