A Shelter in Our Car

Author: Monica Gunning
Plot Summary: Since she left Jamaica for America after her father died, Zettie lives in a car with her mother while they both go to school and plan for a real home.
Posted In: Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy

Discussion Questions
  • Why do Zettie and her mother live in their car?
  • Can a car be a home?
  • Do people need shelter? Why?
  • What are the most important things people need in life?
  • What does it mean to be homeless?
  • Why does Zettie want her mother to drop her off at the corner behind the school instead of in front of the school?
  • Why do some of Zettie’s classmates call her “Junk Car Zettie?”
  • Does Zettie feel safe? What do we need in order to feel safe?
  • Can love be a kind of shelter?
  • What would a perfect home look like? Do perfect homes exist?