A Stolen Life: A Memoir Jaycee Dugard

You must answer at least 10 of the 14 questions. You may choose any questions you wish to
respond to. If you answer more than the required 10 questions you will be awarded bonus points
for those responses. Your questions must be answered using complete sentences. The response
should be written in essay format, typed using 12-point font and double spaced. Remember to
watch for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.

1. Why did Jaycee write her book? In the "Author's Note," she says...
[T]his book is my attempt to convey the overwhelming confusion I felt during those years and to
begin to unravel the damage that was done to me and my family.
Do you think this memoir will help her? If so, in what way? For what other reasons might she
have written A Stolen Life?
2. What effect do you think her book will have on the reading publicbeneficial, prurient,
neutral? What effect has it had on you? Why have you chosen to read Jaycee's memoir? Should
younger girls read this memoir as a cautionary story...or should it be read by adults only?
3. Jaycee says of her confinement that "with time I grew used to all kinds of things." How would
it be possible to grow used to such a horrific ordeal? Do you see her attitude as an acceptance, a
shutting down, a giving up...or something else?
4. Talk about the birth of Jaycee's first daughter, the manner in which she gave birth, and how it
changed her.
5. Parts of Jaycee's memoir contain graphic descriptions of her abuse at the hands of her captor.
Why might she have included such frank passages? Are those descriptions a necessary part of her
memoir? If so, why? If not, why not? Consider the words "rape," "molestation," and "abuse" and
how frequently the are used in public discourse. As a society, do we understand those words?
Does Jaycee's book help us gain a greater insight into the brutality behind those words?
6. Talk about Garrido. What is his sickness? Would you even describe it a sickness? Why did
psychotherapy prove ineffective for him? Consider, also what angels mean to him.
7. In what way does Jaycee's relationship with Garrido change over the course of her 18-year

captivity?
8. What is Jaycee's attitude toward her numerous pets? Do you find her concerns for their
welfare ironic?
9. Do you find Jaycee an inspirational figure? Why or why not?
10. Jaycee was not allowed to use her real neame but forced to use the name, Allisa, given to her
by Garrido. Why did he demand she put aside her true name? What is the significance of one's
name?
11. How does our society, with all its law enforcement power and child abuse protections, allow
someone like Garrido to continue operating? What do you make of the fact that police had
visited Garrido's house 60 times during her captivity? What needs to be done?

13. What struck you most while reading Jaycee's accountwhat did you find most
disturbing...surprising...or impressive? Also, what have you come away with after having read
the book? Have you been changed in any way by this book?
14. Perhaps the most interesting question of allhow would YOU have survived Jaycee's
ordeal? Or how would you have survived as her parent?