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About George Dawson

George Dawson is the grandson of slaves who worked for more than seven decades. Some of his jobs included breaking horses, driving spikes for the railroads, building levees on the Mississippi, and laboring on farms and in a sawmill. He became a full-time student at age 98 and learned to read. He died in 2001 at the age of 103.

About Richard Glaubman

Richard Glaubman is an elementary school teacher. He lives in Washington state.

Some questions to consider:

  1. Besides being a memoir about a man’s life, this book is also about the relationships between fathers and sons. Explain some of those father-son relationships and how they are interrelated.
  2. What are some of the life lessons you can take from this book? How good a job does Glaubman do in presenting Dawson’s story in Dawson’s own words?
  3. One of the problems with writing a memoir or biography is that the narrative can sometimes become no more than a chronological string of events. How has Glaubman dealt with unifying Dawson’s memoir? What are some of the major themes he has woven through the entire work?
  4. Chapter One begins and ends with some of Dawson’s thoughts about peppermint candies. How and why have his feelings about the peppermints changed by the end of the chapter?
  5. Chapter One could stand by itself as a moving short story. How is it structured to present the simplicity of Dawson’s themes?
  6. How is Dawson’s life experience different from the experiences of other poor farming families of the early 1900s?

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More Questions:

  1. Chapter One begins and ends with some of Dawson’s thoughts about peppermint candies. How and why have his feelings about the peppermints changed by the end of the chapter?
  2. Chapter One could stand by itself as a moving short story. How is it structured to present the simplicity of Dawson’s themes?
  3. What were some of the difficulties that Dawsons’ grandparents faced even though they had been freed?
  4. How does Dawson’s relationship with the Coal children change when he gets old enough to work for the McCreadys? What does this suggest about peoples’ attitudes toward one another?
  5. When Richard takes Dawson to the library to read the old newspapers, Dawson says, “…this paper was not about the Marshall that I knew…I had worked so hard to learn how to read and I was seeing lies, all lies.” What has caused his reaction?
  6. What does Dawson decide is the reason he has lived so long and Richard has come to help him read about the past?
  7. How is Dawson’s life experience different from the experiences of other poor farming families of the early 1900s?
  8. Chapter 6 is the first of many chapters that begin with an excerpt from a book or newspaper. How do these excerpts contribute to the narrative?
  9. How is Ashley’s way of bringing the noontime meal out to the farmhands different from the way Mrs. Little had done the same job? How does this difference affect Dawson?
  10. Even though 1914 brought news of a war in Europe, Dawson’s family had its own tragedy. How did that affect the course of his life?
  11. What important lesson does Dawson learn about his experience with the mule in Chapter
  12. How does he, in a way, make up for his actions towards the mule in Chapter 11?
  13. How did Jackie Robinson’s entry into the Major Leagues affect Dawson and other black people at that time?
  14. What were some of the things Dawson and his black teammates had to deal with when they were on the road and playing white teams?
  15. Dawson is illiterate for most of his life. How does he cope with his inability to read maps, menus, train tickets, restaurant checks, and so on? What happens to him as a result?
  16. Once Dawson leaves Marshall, he narrowly escapes trouble in incidents with L.D. and Charles. Why does he find himself so unexpectedly in the middle of “trouble”?
  17. What are some of the things that Dawson is surprised about when he is in Mexico?
  18. How and why does Dawson change while he is in New Orleans?
  19. What change comes over Dawson when he is in California, fishing on the beach? Why do you think that change occurs in that setting, at that time?
  20. In Chapter 16, Dawson heads home to Marshall with great anticipation. How might the ability to read or write have protected him from the surprising discovery he made when he returned to the homestead?
  21. Dawson notices the woman who will become his bride-to-be while he is breaking a horse. How do these two incidents relate to each other?
  22. How does Dawson’s experience with the buckskin horse in Oklahoma represent a turning point in his life?
  23. In Chapter 18, Dawson finally presents Richard with a newspaper article. What does this show about the developing nature of their relationship?
  24. How does Dawson’s experience with his co-worker in the boiler room contrast to the reaction of the cowboys who saw him break the buckskin?
  25. How does Dawson’s experience doing yard work for the white lady in Chapter 19 force him into an uncharacteristic reaction towards her?
  26. Why does Richard finally decide to seek out George Dawson and ask him about his life and experiences?
  27. Why does George Dawson become so important to so many different kinds of people so late in his life?
  28. Why was Dawson surprised by his treatment in Mexico and Canada?
  29. How might George Dawson’s life had been different if he had learned to read and write the way most people do, in
  30. childhood?
  31. How does Dawson’s life change after he learns to read and write? How does it remain the same?
  32. What is the significance of the book’s title?
  33. Choose a passage that is significant, interesting, or surprising to you in some way. Explain why that passage presents that meaning to you.
  34. Select one of Dawson’s quotes that has special significance and resonates with you and explain why it has that power.
  35. Besides being a memoir about a man’s life, this book is also about the relationships between fathers and sons. Explain some of those father-son relationships and how they are interrelated.
  36. What are some of the life lessons you can take from this book?
  37. How good a job does Glaubman do in presenting Dawson’s story in Dawson’s own words?
  38. What challenges did Glaubman face in getting and presenting Dawson’s story?
  39. Why does Glaubman include himself as a character in Dawson’s narration?
  40. One of the problems with writing a memoir or biography is that the narrative can sometimes become no more than a chronological string of events. How has Glaubman dealt with unifying Dawson’s memoir? What are some of the major themes he has woven through the entire work?
  41. Would you recommend this book to others? What would you say about it?
  42. What questions would you ask George Dawson or Richard Glaubman ?

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