Robert Shaw discussion topics
How did your views of Robert Shaw change after reading the book?
What trait do you think Robert should be best remembered for? Did he follow his dream?
Which do you think Robert preferred: acting on stage, in film, or writing novels and plays? How does each experience compare or differ?
As a young actor, Robert tended to take the spotlight away from the star of the show, and he paid the price. Do you think this benefited him in the long run?
What was it about Orkney, Cornwall, and Ireland that the Shaw family loved so much?
What was Robert’s relationship with his father? Do you think alcoholism is the result of genetics, environment, or other factors?
What made Robert’s mother such an imposing figure? How did she shape the personalities of her children?
'Better drowned than duffers' was a popular saying with Dr. and Mrs. Shaw. Do you think it is better to take risks in life, even if they might kill you?
JAWS discussion topics
How did your views of JAWS change after spending a week on the set with the Shaw family?
What was Robert’s relationship with Steven Spielberg? With Richard Dreyfuss? How did Robert’s family react to the young director and the young actor?
Do you think JAWS is a great movie or just a summer thriller? If a great movie, what made it great?
How would you compare the USS Indianapolis speech in JAWS to similar scenes in other movies? To a Shakespearean soliloquy?
Additional discussion topics
What did Joanna Shaw find so appealing about Nelson Mandela? What did Mandela say was the most important factor in fighting Apartheid? Do you think he was right?
Do you think Joanna was correct in identifying a double standard in which working mothers must also take responsibility for the children and the home?
Do you think Joanna’s lawsuit for gender pay discrimination against her employer of thirty years was justified? What do you think of her lawyer’s tactics?
What is meant by the title of Chapter 26 (Show Me The Way To Go Home)? What was it about the Shaws that made them laugh so much together, especially when talking about their childhood?