50 pages • 1 hour read
Suzanne YoungThe Program
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Mental illness is described in the novel as “the epidemic” causing high rates of teenage suicide. In what ways is this terminology problematic? Do you think Young uses this language to draw attention to the stigma surrounding mental illness? Why or why not?
Describe the relationship between James and Sloane. What do they offer each other emotionally? Why does The Program want to keep them apart, even after they erase their memories?
What is the significance of Liam’s conversation with Sloane before he dies? How does this conversation push Sloane toward fighting against The Program?
Describe the significance of Young revealing that Derek, Shep, and Tabitha work for The Program like Realm. Why does The Program use so many people who are not patients to manipulate teenagers? Does Realm have good intentions with Sloane? Why or why not?
Young explores The Ethics of Involuntary Medical Treatment through Sloane and Realm’s relationship. Do you think Realm’s reasoning for drugging Sloane makes sense, and why does the plan backfire? Why does Realm think that The Program wants to help Sloane?
What is the significance of Lacey in the novel? Why does she befriend Sloane again, and how do her actions contribute to Sloane’s desire to break away from the oppressive system they live in?
In what ways does The Program’s plan to “cure” the teenagers backfire? Do you think that The Program causes teenagers to experience mental illness? If so, why would they continue with their treatments? Provide specific examples.
What is the significance of Brady to the narrative? Why would Sloane’s mother be so eager for Sloane to forget his death and stop speaking about him? How do Brady and her mother’s actions contribute to Sloane’s fight against The Program?
Consider how The Program uses surveillance to instill fear in teenagers. Why do the teenager’s parents trust The Program? How does the dissolution of trust in families affect the characters’ mental health?
The novel ends on a cliffhanger as Sloane contemplates what to do with the orange pill. Do you think she will take it, give it to James, or destroy it? What prevents her from taking it immediately? What are the benefits and the drawbacks of taking it?
