Course material

1. The shilling, the amethyst necklace and the photograph link the...
The shilling, the amethyst necklace and the photograph link the lives of four generations of
the Westaway family. To what extent do you think it is the passing on of these heirlooms,
rather than the objects themselves, that gives them meaning and importance? How are they
used as symbols or motifs in the novel?
Discuss the significance of the amethyst pendant. Francis and Annabel's relationship ends
when he takes the necklace back. Do you think this one action changes the course of his life
more than the day he stole it?
Alec says of the older Westaways: 'Everyone knows who they are. They know every drop of
blood in their veins. Where they've come from... Grandpa can track his blood. Uncle Frank's
right: he's the lucky one.' Why does Alec feel this way? Do Kip and the other characters
know who they are because of 'their blood', or for other reasons? What does this show
about family?
How does Toni Jordan effectively use the vignette structure in Nine Days to explore family?
What does she say about family?
Connie says that the 'secret to happiness is to be grateful'. Compare Connie's experience of
happiness to another character. Do you believe any of the characters truly happy?
How has setting the novel in the inner-city suburb of Richmond served to highlight the
changes that Australia underwent in the twentieth century?
How does Toni Jordan begin to expose the Australian mindset of egalitarianism? How does
she then show that this is a facade?
How does the Australian colloquial vernacular show the break away from British classism?
How does Toni Jordan's use of malapropisms create authentic voices for the characters?
How are they representative of class and time?
How does Toni Jordan show wealth in the novel? What does she indicate is more
worthwhile wealth?
How did the women in Nine Days preserve or work to improve their social worth and
honourable standing?
What is Jordan's message on masculinity? How do Kip and Francis show two different types
of Australian male?
Stanzi's analysis of her female clients is that their 'giddying assortment of suburban
problems' boil down to the fact that they are angry that 'the world has not kept its side of
the bargain' Do you agree with this assessment? How does Stanzi show the ignorance of
modern society to the struggles of the past?

2. 'It's the first time I can recall that I've touched the skin of a man that wasn't my father'
(203/4). How does Annabel's reaction and realisation at this moment symbolise her
freedom from both her father and society's judgement? Make reference to the context.
Are the men in the pre-war period bound by society's rules as much as the women? What
expectations does society have of Kip, Francis and Jack — and are they different from Alec's
experiences as a young man in today's world?
Jean tells Connie: 'Some rules belong to Jesus and other rules belong to men who want to
keep others in their place.' (Pg 184) What role does religion play in this story? How does
this change during the course of the novel?
a) Rank the males in the text from most honourable to least honourable. Provide evidence
to support your ranking.
b) What is Toni Jordan saying about what an honourable man looks like?
In the absence of his father, how does Kip find a role model in Jack? Why is this so?
There are two great romances in the novel, Kip and Annabel's and Connie and Jack's. But
there are also many other examples of love. What are they, and in what ways are they just as
great as the romantic love the couples share?
A number of characters in Nine Days make difficult sacrifices. What are some of these
sacrifices and why are they made? What is the outcome and how are they worth the result?
The last line of the novel is Connie's feeling that 'everything will be all right' (pg 245). How
do you feel at the end of the novel? How is Nine Days is a story about hope? How does Toni
Jordan present tragedy?