Mick Harte Was Here

What motivates Phoebe to change her mind about speaking to her school about bike safety? How does her decision characterize her?

How does the Harte family’s relationship with Mick’s bedroom change? How does this reflect their evolving grief process?

What function does Zoe provide in the novel? What messages does Park convey through her?

How do members of the Harte family grieve differently, and how does this impact the family’s dynamics? How might Phoebe’s relationship with, and perception of, her parents be changed going forward? How might the tragedy of Mick’s death contribute to Phoebe’s maturity?

Why is Phoebe’s choice to write “MICK HARTE WAS HERE” in the concrete a symbolic and appropriate way to commemorate Mick? Based on what the novel reveals about Mick’s personality, how would he react to this commemorative engraving?

Park juxtaposes the Harte family immediately before and after Mick’s death. What is the same as before Mick’s death and what is different? How is the family’s recovery characterized? Are there any positive changes that take place after Mick’s death compared to how things were before?

How does Phoebe’s first-person narration affect the way the story is told? How does it affect the delivery and impact of its messages and themes? How might the story have been different with an omnipotent, third-person narrator?

Does the novel condemn the Hartes for not forcing their son to wear his bicycle helmet? Why or why not? Use text from the novel to support your argument.