To assist teachers and instructors wishing to include The Year The Gypsies Came as part of their reading lists, we have created a series of discussion topics and essay questions.
If you are an educator and would like to add your own questions to this list to assist others, please feel free to send them to us by clicking here.
The novel is structured around Emily's encounters and interactions with other people. Does any pattern seem to emerge, or does anything change in her interactions as the novel progresses?
Throughout the book, Emily longs for intimacy with other human beings. Discuss the different types of relationships Emily attempts and the different types of intimacy in the book.
(A) To what extent is Sarah responsible for her own fate?
(B) What other persons must share the blame?
Choose a scene in the novel which you consider especially noteworthy, and show how the author has presented it effectively.
What impression have you gained of life in South Africa during the Apartheid period from reading The Year the Gypsies Came?
Buza's presence is felt throughout the novel; why is it necessary to the story?
The Year the Gypsies Came has enormous crossover potential and will appeal as much to adults as to teenagers. Do you agree? Give the reasons for your answer.
A book consultant has said that the writing in the novel "is superb and the characters so finely drawn that we begin to live their lives." Do you agree? Why or why not?
What do you consider to be the climax of the novel. Why?
How do you account for the lack of interaction between Emily and her mother?
Do you believe that personalities are "inherent" or that "events shape people"? Discuss any two of the characters in terms of how each is portrayed and whether or not there are reasons for each character's situation at the end of the novel.
What role does Buza play in Emily's life? What does she learn from her exposure to him?
How do Lily and Bob represent the morality of the established white rich class?
What function, if any, do Jock and Peg serve?
Which of Buza's folk tales do you think helped Emily the most in dealing with the events in the novel?
Discuss the symbolism of the honey guide bird's egg in the book.
Trace Glass' (the author's) use of the "blue gum woods" throughout the novel.
How does "Apartheid" function as an important element throughout the novel?
Is Sarah's act of wading in the waters of Zebra Lake a rational or an irrational act?