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First Tuesday Book Club: A moral minefield: Christos Tsiolkas's 'The Slap'

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Screenshot from The Slap
First Tuesday Book Club: A moral minefield: Christos Tsiolkas's 'The Slap'

SUBJECTS:  English

YEARS:  9–10


'The Slap', a novel from Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, created plenty of controversy when it was published.

Why is it that some novels seem to stir people up more than others?

Learn how the novel affected a group of panel members discussing popular Australian books.


Things to think about

  1. 1.The smacking of children is a very contentious issue in modern times. Do you think there are circumstances in which it's acceptable to discipline children in this way? If so, when is it not okay? Do a brief search on the ABC website for articles on smacking children. What seems to be the dominant view about this issue in Australia?
  2. 2.What did Christos Tsiolkas say he wanted to explore in his novel 'The Slap'? What qualities in 'The Slap' suggest it is a 'modern' novel, apart from the time in which it's set? Why would many Australians be able to relate to the setting? In what ways does the 'dislikeability' of the characters affect Judy Nunn and Jennifer Byrne (the presenter)? What kinds of reactions does the novel provoke among readers?
  3. 3.The Slap' has been described as a novel that 'holds a mirror to society'. Why do you think many Australians have found the reflection so challenging? Why might a writer want to confront society like this? In what ways can 'The Slap' be considered both a historical novel yet a timeless one?
  4. 4.Marieke Hardy characterises this novel as a 'historical document' of her generation. Imagine you are a literary critic living 50 years in the future. Write a review of 'The Slap', analysing what it reveals about the moral landscape of Australia in the early 21st century. Write a story of your own that explores the moral repercussions of one character's actions.



Date of broadcast: 4 Dec 2012


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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