What Had Happened Was...
The royal guards
Who was chasing Zelie, Amari, and Tzain in the market?
Reclaiming cultural identity and ancestral power
What Zelie's magic might really represent?
A banned book, stolen culture, ancestral wisdom
Real-life items the scroll might represent
It threatens their control and authority
Why does the monarchy fear magic?
Indigenous communities, enslaved Africans, Jewish people during WWII
Name a real-life group that's been erased like the Diviners?
Awakens magic in Diviners
What was the purpose of the scroll?
Lost history, truth, identity, and/or cultural memory
What the scroll might symbolize in today's world
Identity, ancestry, and/or pride in heritage
The importance of hair as a symbol
Runs, resists, and fights
What is one way Zelie resists the power structure?
Protests, writing music, mutual aid, speaking out, reclaiming history
How do people resist oppression IRL?
A tingly surge of magic and a connection with spirits of the dead
What happens when Zelie touches the scroll?
Magic is like fire--dangerous and beautiful.
What is a metaphor CoBaB so far
Crossing into freedom or reclaiming the journey of ancestors
What the boat scene symbolizes
Emotional power and ancestral connection
What power does Zelie discover within herself?
Stereotypes about race, gender, religion, or disability
How is identity misunderstood IRL?
To protect Binta's legacy and resist her father
Why does Amari steal the scroll?
Chaos or rebellion
What the monarchy might say magic symbolizes
When systems suppress knowledge and power
What is the allegorical meaning of "hiding magic"?
Spread propaganda, label the Diviners as "dangerous"
How the monarchy manipulates the public's fear of magic to justify violence
Books that teach truth, banned knowledge, hidden histories
How does the scroll relate to education or books IRL?
Execute, imprison, or torture
What guards do to Diviners who are caught with magic
Fear is like a shadow--it follows you even in the light.
What is an example of simile?
It awakens truth and power in the oppressed.
Why might the monarchy fear the scroll?
Anti-immigrant rhetoric, anti-Black policing, post-911 Islamophobia, Mc
How governments historically used fear to turn people against a group
Healing and strength come from naming your truth and fighting back
What does Zelie's journey teach us about reclaiming identity?