Close our eyes, and give our gratitude to those who beat us, and not beat us down. Who knocks us and not knock us out. At the end, bring us the strength and power to face here and now.         

Outline:

Emma Cline is an American writer and novelist, originally from California. She published her first novel, The Girls, in 2016, to positive reviews.

It's 1969 - a worse cultural revolution is taking place involving drugs, sex, free love and rock n roll. 
It's also the darkest period when the compelling and charming Charles Manson seduced young girls who are lonely, naive and vulnerable to enter the distorted clan of deceit, poverty, sex, drugs , stealing and murder.

Escaping from the relationship doomed hell, a 14 year-old girl draged to the sin of heaven and changed her life by a peek of the temptation. Instead of prayground, she found playground of drugs, sex, stealing and murder.

Evie,  a thoughtless, normal girl and no shine of greatness on her. Parents are divorced.  Bad relationship with classmates. She sees a group of girls in the park and is immediately caught by their freedom, careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is obsessed by Suzanne, a fatal attracted older girl, made her life come into sharp, mysterious releaf, revealing a world beyond the known world, soon drawn her into the circle of an infamous cult of 40 members(p.113) and the man who is its charismatic leader, Russell. (p.123)Just like Charles Mason, know so well to comfort the children of lesser God and change himself to fit every person.

Hidden in the hills, the group’s sprawling ranch is gross and disgusting, but to Evie it is exotic, thrilling, a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily frailties, material society without inner concern(p.115), and as long as she get more in touch with Suzanne , the more Evie get closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and her life runs horribly wrong. Once the lion opens his mouth, it’s hard for them to run away.

Once when Russell (p.304) tried to bag for the tapes form his session with Mitch. They come into a big conflict ends up that Suzanne ,Helen,Donna,

Guy gave Mitch the traiter, Linda,Gwen, a lesson by killing them. Mitch got lucky to excape from the murder for the working on his track for Stone Gods in Los Angeles. Suzanne assumed that Evie is not able to participate in murder and let her get out of the car. By the end, all of them would be arrested, the little kids were sent to the Social Services. Except Evie, with Suzanne’s help, she start a new life, till now, Evie keeps the killing as a secret.
Evie, in her middle age, is reflecting back on the days when she was 14 and

she already be part of the great mentor to inspire herself and the other youth and do have a better clear mind what’s the meaning of life should be.

Discussion Questions:

1.      Which main role drag your attention? Divorced parents? Clan?Teenagers’ classmates?society?Evie herself?

(1)14-year-old Evie seems to be living a typically boring life when she sees a girl in the park…and an obsession begins. Her ordinary life hits the extraordinary.

(2) Evie just has a very bad situation: Bad relationship with friends and classmates and family. Her wisdom isn't developed well enough for her to sense danger for making good decisions. Her moral compass isn't showing a clear direction yet; she doesn't have a clue how dangerous or wrong it all is. The more rules she breaks and the more blind she is to the things happening around her. Things she doesn't want to see.

(3) Evie's parents have recently divorced. Her father has a new girlfriend, and her mother is dating with a variety of men.

(4) Early into the story, she remembers a cocktail party her parents had thrown, ( the year before they split). The guests were her father's friends mostly. Her mother wasn't very social and hovered around the buffet table trying desperately to seek approval for the food she had prepared. Evie felt embarrassed that her mother asked her how she looked.（She was clear - and clear her mother was clear - that her father fucked anything he could. ）Neither parent was paying any attention to Evie. Her best friend wasn't either. The only woman at that party who looked exciting was her dad's girlfriend. She was sexy with cool clothes. Evie knew she should hate her dad for cheating. but Evie began to fantasize about her father with his girlfriend naked together...("with her throat circled by a ribbon, lying on some carpet in some too-small Palo Alto apartment". )We not only could see the longing Evie has for attention...but love no longer feels safe to her. She was angry at her mother - that her dad left....Being 14, angry, and lonely, can lead one down a dangerous path. The year is also 1969...the cornerstone for drugs, sex, and rock-in-roll. 
Evie gets mixed up with a cult - a singer-songwriter alluring leader. Later he manipulates his followers into a dark world of violence.

2.      Any writing features of this book attract you?

(1)interesting thing about this book is less violence than I expected and give us a better imagination.

(2)the narration has a self-reflective quality. First person stories make us really feel closer to the facts.

(3)It has some pretty adult stuff, so I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers

(4)Evie's life both back then and now. We can have a very positive feeling to see her back on the right track. It makes us feel more hopeful and blissful.

(5)Great book. Took me right back to 1969. 

(6)This was based loosely on The Manson clan

(7)There are a few turns of phrase makes us distract from the story’s real situation. She uses the verb cadge  to describe someone taking something, she describes a meal as a glut of spaghetti, mossed with cheese.

3.      From your point of view, what’s the cos effect to make Evie get closer to the evil?

(1)According to the Criminal Psychology: Who lack of low-self control, perseverance, violence, professional skills, sympathy,frustration tolerance, do have the potential criminal genes.

(2) Stockholm syndrome, strong emotional ties that develop between two persons where one person intermittently harasses, beats, threatens, abuses, or intimidates the other.

(3) Maslow's hierarchy of needs:physiological, safty,love belonging, esteem, self actualization. Once the basic need is fulfilled, it will push us forward to the next step. For Evie’s case, she just cant’ gest satisfied at the first three steps. Divorced family, cold pudding is her daily allotment of pleasure(p.279)

4.      Who will take all the girls responsibility? Parents? Society?Friends? Self? It’s a time for us to take a break and think it over.

(1) Family:everyone in the family, just want take what they want instead of other’s need. What’t the meaning of love? Family in turns of “father and mother I love you”. They just scarify others to achieve their own happiness.

(2)Friends:

a. Bad Friends-"The Analects of Confucius: There are also 3 types of bad friends: one that would lie to you because they don't want you to dislike them; one that is nice to you but is not sincere at all; and one that likes to talk a lot but does not have any substance." “Someone who is a clever speaker and maintains a contrived smile is seldom considered to be a really good person.” Russel use his empathy. Make Evie lost her self defense and miss her last moral line of defense. Once the family system is weak, kids are easy to look out for the Family substitution mechanism. All of Evies’ friends didn’t give her a hand but push her into the hell.

b. Good Friends- A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities. - William Arthur Ward.

"The Analects of Confucius"There are 3 types of good friends: one that is direct and honest when they think you are wrong; one that is trust-worthy, dependable, and generous when you need help; and one that is knowledgable and talented to guide you and show you what you can't see.”

p.349”I believe Sazanne kicked me out of the car because she’d seen a difference between us. That it was obvious to her that I could not kill anyone. Suzanne still lucid enough to understand that she was the reason I was in the car. She wanted to protect me from what was going to happen . That was the easy explanation.”

Suzanne lead Evie into the hell, but still give her a chance to avoid the worse.

P.348 “Suzanne was not a good person. I understand.” Most of the time, Suzanne “do” things” right”(no matter things are right or not), but only one thing, she chose to the right things(for Evie)!

(3)Self:Suzanne could help Evie, get rid of the murder,” but can’t help herself get out of the trouble. (P.302)Tom reminded her that a trash heap, persuaded her to escape with him. But Evie refused. Tom exhort Evie get out of the trash heap clan. But Evie refused.Sometimes when the real survivor shows up, we still did the wrong choice. Sometimes, we are our own best friend and worst enemy.

5.      Why Suzanne wanna save Evie?

p.349”I believe Sazanne kicked me out of the car because she’d seen a difference between us. That it was obvious to her that I could not kill anyone. Suzanne still lucid enough to understand that she was the reason I was in the car. She wanted to protect me from what was going to happen . That was the easy explanation.”

p.350”Suzanne stopped me from doing what I might be capable of. And so she set me loose into the world like an avatar for the girls she would not be. She would never go to boarding school, but I still could, and she sent me spinning from her like a messenger for her alternate self.” Suzanne make Evie be another Suzanne who achieve her different dream that she already lost the opportunity to achieve for.

6.      What does Evie’s reaction to meet a stranger on the beach?

(1)In the beginning of the story, she hears someone in the house and assumes she's about to be murdered violently. At the end, she sees the strange man on the beach, she assumes she's about to be violently murdered.

(p.355) She found out that he was just a normal man. enjoy listening to the music. The weak sun through the fog.   He smiled at me as he passed, and I smiled back” The first time she ever felt warm and accepted,it’ a brandnew experience to have accepted by the society and start a new life at her middle age.

7.      Is the story inspired by the Charles Manson's murders?

(1) Seems like the same story with different characters.

(2)Charles Manson belief that the world would end with a race war , Before the nine series of murders in the middle of 1969 , he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the Los Angeles music industry

(3) Different from Manson’ belief of race war, (p.179)Russell create a new society, free from racism, free from exclusion, free from hierarchy, in service of a deeper love.

(4)p.90 Russell was unlike any other human. That he could receive message form animals, he can see every part of them. he could heal a man with his hands. Pull the rot out of you as cleanly as a tumorp.(p.101) Mitch also calls Russell the Wizard.

8. Does anyone else feel like they could have done without the flipping back and forth from past to present?

(1) I thought the present part was boring and unnecessary. And easy get confused.

9.Since Evie is not present when the murders take place, and does not appear to have been at the trial, why do all the people in her life know what she was associated with the cult?

(1)Bad news travels fast. 

(2)People lost goal pursuing, spend more time gossiping

10. Evie has a lot of chance to run away, why she choose to stay at the ranch? But at the end. When Suzanne came back to her, she wanna to help Suzanne back on the right track?

p.348 “I had almost wanted a threat. Some indication that she might return. That I should fear her or could draw her back with the right combination of words.” From a divorced family and all friends seclude her, she entered the clan. But from the hell. She got more clear mind what the heaven should be. Suzanne is the bridge to help her go through the troubled water. But Evie is not so strong enough to make Suzanne change.

P.349”The hatred she must have felt to do what she’d done. To slam the knife over and over again like she was trying to rid herself of a frenzied sickness.”

p.350” Suzanne stopped me from doing what I might be capable of( to enter the world of killing with the hatred). And she set me loose into the world like an avatar for the girl she would not be”

It seems that Suzanne is not so lucky like Evie. She seem sank into deeper hatred. Love is the best way to get rid of crime! The love is from Suzanne! Suzanne wanna scarify herself to save Evie. The great love is to let go, Suzanne did it!

11. Do you think that is necessary for Russell to induce Suzanne, Guy and Donna to kill Mitch?

(1)Russell is easy out of temper and deal with things with violence and sex.

(2) Mitch got some luck ,cos he was gone to Los Angeles to work on a track he’d made for Stone Gods. The others are not so lucky, Linda(Mitch’s girlfriend), Christopher(Linda’s son) ,Scotty,Gwen, (Scotty’s girlfriend) are murdered. It seems to me his henchmen are gone mad under the control of Russell. Even Mitch is not home, they kill the rest of his friends and extra girlfriend and kid.

(3) The most unbelievable is he instructs his henchmen to kill Mitch.

12. What about Evie’s point of view of past 1969?

(1). P.132 cease to exist, disappear self. Be a cavalier. Dismantle what seemed permanent. They seize temporary happiness.

(2)the year of lost: hate,angry,thoughtless,hurt, misunderstanding, selfish,scare,fooled,nauseous,frantic, silly, young,straightforward.

(3)p.27 The constant project of our girl selves seeming to require odd and precise attentions by doing anything weird tests to provoke love.

(4)p.28 Life is just a waiting room until someone noticed you. They just wait for help and lost the motivation to strive for themselves.

(5)p.47 How impersonal and grasping our love was, pinging around the universe, hoping for a host to give form to our wishes(theory of external cause)

(6)p.55 Nothing is free in the world(include love?)

(7)p.61 Illuminted a slice of private weakness, exposed the twitchy rabbit heart.

  They are so afraid to show trueself

(8)Gross life! Sex could set you up, make you be the scapegoat.p.225”Suzanne must have been giving Russell a report. Letting him know Mitch had seemed , whether we’d made him happy enough to change his mind.”p.311”Russell stayed at the ranch that night. The others were his families loosed out into the world”

(9)Evie is invisible p.35“I was an average girl, and that was the biggest disappointment of all- there was no shine of greatness on me. “p.36”Sometimes I would be overtaken with pious impulses to do better. To try harder, but of course nothing changed”’She was overwhelmed by ineffective futile feeling

13. What does Evie’s point of view of present

(1) p.146 She feel loved and respected by Sasha

(2)p.149 “The world fattens them on the promise of love without mention about the violent force.” Love could be more soft than violent.

(3)” Evie plays different role against Suzanne. Help Sasha back to meliorative trajectory. “Evie is no more the victim of the divorced and secluded kid, but a survivor to inspire others.

(4)p.151 The world has a visible order, and all we had to do was look for the

·        symbols-as if evil were a code that could be cracked(theory of the internal cause)

(5)the year of found: loved, decent,forgive, sharing, blissful and blessing, safe,caring,understanding

(6) den mother vs step mother

(7) sex could set you free. Make you be loved.p.338”…gone to that other place in her mind where Julian was sweet and kind…but it had never been me she wanted”p.151”Evil were a code that could be cracked” True love could be found again!Glow body, grow mind!

14.conclusion:

(1)Life is like the little minnow swimming across the ocean, need to pay attention to watch out the sharks, sleek and thoughtless, breaching the water, we might get hurt sometimes, but if we are alive, we still seize the chance in our hand. Till her middle age, she turns into a new life, with a new thought with gratitude and humble heart.

(2) (P.26)The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Keep walking , everyone’s clould will find their own silver lining

(3)Being 14, angry, and lonely, can lead one down to a dangerous path. The year of 1969 is war, drugs, sex, and rock-in-roll.  it was the worst of times but it also the best of the time. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.” That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” While middle aged Evie look back to 1969,( p.341) Folded the old wounded experience shaped her life into a new of origami with the kind gratitude with blessing, thoughtful and understanding. Youth is just like the dog chasing after the tail of love. But if we keep going for our great goal, love will come after. Keep going, the star will shine by himself

(4)Innocence is the most expensive tuition to exchange experience and wisdom with our time and life

(5) No one is obligated to be kind to you, even God or Buddha, not always show their smiling faces. Behind different faces. We will find the blessing , loving and caring on the path of life. How far our journey. Depends on how much gratitude you show.

(6) If you have no money, it’s a bad cause, but we don’t need to worry about being stolen. It’s good cause. So good cause goes with bad cause. One coin always has two sides. Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. 

15. golden words:

(1) p.341 Folded the old wounded experience into a new shape of origami

(2)p.16 p.17. The past at hand just like the helpless cognitive slip of an optical illusion. Also like the horror movie with bad effects.

(3)p.323 Their lives already redundant, like a tape recorded over with static.

(4)p.81 it was a virtue to that generation, an ability to divert discomfort, tamp it down with ceremony.(one’s meat is another is poison. Don’t blame our environment and change it into our nutrtions.)

(5) p.28 Life is just a waiting room until someone noticed you.

(6)p.47 How impersonal and grasping our love was, pinging around the universe, hoping for a host to give form to our wishes

(7)p.61 Illuminted a slice of private weakness, exposed the twitchy rabbit heart.

16. Group Discussion(Florence, Ming-Li,Clive,Betty, Fay, Lydia ,Emma):

(1)p.99”Donna said Russell was unlike any other human. That he could receive messages form animal. That he could heal a man with his hands, pull the rot out of you as cleanly as a tumor. “He sees every part of you” Clive: Russel is the combination roles of Jim John and Charles Manson. Jim John is the leader of People Temple and caused mass murder of 918. Charles Manson who charged with nine deaths is also a guitar player and song writer. On his forhead has a mark of Hitler logo. Russel’s cult has the mark of love. All their henchmen got brainwashed. Russell use them , not help them.

(2) Don’t blame love and parents. Kids need to take their own responsibility. They are from middle class family, only child syndrome. What love is an excuse for loving self.

(3)Before her first book published, 25-year-old Emma Cline already obtained 5 million from the book publisher. That’s why she weave all the subconscious, unreal and weird world into a chaos movie plots.

(4) Evie’s personality is prone to curiosity to all drinking,drugs, sex, stealing, what is so abnormal to a normal kid

(5)In 1969, divorce is a chicken stuff! Most women are trained to be a good wife and good mother.

(6)Palo Alto is the headquater of Facebook ,Google and hometown of Jeremy Lin, Jobs, University of Standford is also around this area. But, East part of Palo Alto Also is the clan of the sin.

Happy Woman’s Day to all

You are more stylish, your kids will be more confident

You are more in great shape, your kids will be more proud

You are more initiative, your kids will be more diligent

You are more independent, your kids will be more strong

You are more willing to give, your kids will be more shining

You are more sincere, your kids will be more honest

You change yourself, the world will change for you