Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

At one point, Evelyn notices that Mrs. Threadgoode is “getting more and more mixed up about time, past and present” (323). How does this observation intersect with the novel’s structure, and/or its interest in memory?

Compare and contrast Evelyn’s memories of watching her mother die from cancer with the novel’s depiction of Ruth’s death. What point does Flagg seem to be making about death and dying?

Discuss the significance of “Towanda” to the novel’s themes, and to Evelyn’s development as a character.

What role does Smokey Lonesome play in Fried Green Tomatoes? How does his storyline reflect the novel’s setting and themes?

Compare and contrast Artis and Jasper Peavey. To what extent do the differences between the twins stem from their different experiences, and to what extent do they reflect differences in personality?

Characters like Artis Peavey and Eva Bates live very sexually free lives, while others, like Idgie and Mrs. Threadgoode, talk openly about sex. What is Fried Green Tomatoes’s overall attitude towards sex, and how does it reflect the novel’s interest in gender?

Fried Green Tomatoes centers on two relationships between women: Ninny Threadgoode and Evelyn Couch, and Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison. Compare and contrast these relationships, and their significance to the characters involved.

Discuss the scene set in the Martin Luther King Memorial Baptist Church within the broader context of race and racism in Fried Green Tomatoes.