7. What are the three problems that Sophie’s list at the end of this chapter?
Answers
It’s early May in Norway, and a young woman named Sophie Amundsen walks home from school. She was walking with her friend Joanna, but Joanna’s house is closer to school than Sophie’s. Sophie walks through a dense forest on the outskirts of town to arrive at her home. When she arrives, she finds a letter addressed to her. She opens it and finds the words, “Who are you?”
The most basic philosophical question in this book—the one which provokes all the other ones—is the question of identity. Sophie is a young woman, unsure what kind of adult she’s going to grow up to be. During the course of the novel, she’ll come to terms with herself, in a way that can help to educate the reader, too.
THEMES
Philosophy, Wisdom, and Wonder Theme Icon The Nature of Reality Theme Icon Education, Mentorship, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Sophie’s letter has a strange effect on her. She remembers that her Mom and Dad had wanted to give her a different name—Lillemor, maybe. Sophie stares in the mirror and asks, “Who are you?” but gets no answer. Sophie often thinks about how ugly she is—she has straight hair and a big nose and mouth.