Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Week 6: Harriet, the Neighbors, and Community
Read the chapters that expand the world of Elizabeth's neighborhood and deepen the role of Harriet Sloane and the community of Supper at Six viewers.
Previewing Week 6 of Lessons in Chemistry
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Elizabeth Zott insists she does not need people — and then the novel quietly, persistently proves her wrong. This week we look at the community that forms around her, whether she wants it or not.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Harriet Sloane is one of the novel's great supporting characters. What specific qualities make her indispensable to Elizabeth, and what does their friendship cost each of them?
2.The Supper at Six audience is not just a crowd of admirers — it becomes a kind of community with its own internal dynamics. How does Garmus characterize these women, and does the novel risk reducing them to a grateful, faceless mass, or does it individualize them effectively?
3.The fan mail Elizabeth receives reveals a great deal about the inner lives of her viewers. What do these letters — their hopes, confessions, and questions — say about what women in the early 1960s were not permitted to say publicly?