Winger

Compare the culture of Pine Mountain with the culture on the island in Lord of the Flies by William Golding. What similarities do you see between the two? What differences? Are there similarities and differences in the themes of the two books?

Discuss the portrayal of teen sexuality and sexual identity in Winger. What messages does Smith imply about this topic? What messages are implied about gender and sexual orientation? Use evidence from the text to support your claims.

Examine Ryan Dean’s friendships with other characters over the course of the novel. Which ones are the most resilient? Which seem the most fragile? What does Smith imply about high school friendships, especially between male characters?

Is Ryan Dean a reliable narrator? How might his prejudices, biases, and emotions affect the way he portrays events and other characters? Use specific examples from the book in your essay.

Compare Winger with another book narrated by an American teenage boy—for example, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. What similarities and differences do you see in the books’ narration, themes, and protagonist? How might these similarities and differences reflect cultural differences between the eras in which they were written?

Compare Winger’s treatment of LGBTQIA+ subject matter with at least one other book on the ALA’s Rainbow List, such as The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake, Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson, or That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger. What similarities and differences do you see?

Delve deeper into the role that sports play in Winger. You might, for example, consider whether sports are gendered in the novel or reach across gender; remember that Annie is a member of the cross-country team and that sports are required for all the Pine Mountain students). What other themes can you identify beyond the ones discussed in this guide?

How does Ryan Dean react in the natural spaces of the novel—for example, Stonehenge, the beach/woods at Annie’s house, the woods and lake near Pine Mountain, etc.? Is there a pattern or common theme? Why might Ryan Dean have the reactions that he does in these environments?