The Sun Does Shine

Answer at least TWO questions below:
Book:
Hinton, A. R. (2018). The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on
Death Row. St. Martin’s Press. [Hinton]
1) Discuss the friendship of Ray and Lester. What does their relationship teach us about friendship? What did you think of the friendship of Ray and
fellow inmate Henry Hays, who was raised in a family of virulent racists? What does this friendship teach us about love and hate?
2) What personal qualities help Ray not only to survive prison, but actually make a positive impact around him?
3) Do you think Ray Hinton should have forgiven those who wronged him? If you were greatly wronged, could you forgive? Do you believe there are
situations in which forgiveness is not the right solution?
4) Ray spent his first three years on Death Row without speaking. When is silence the loudest form of expression? Have you found moments in your
own life when silence was more powerful than speech?
5) Ray states that "spending your days waiting to die is no way to live." What are some ways that you practice living, not merely existing? Where do
you draw the line between the two?
6) What is the role of faith in The Sun Does Shine? Does Ray Hinton's questioning of his own faith strengthen or diminish it? What if Ray Hinton had
not believed in God at all: Do you think that would have affected his ability to sustain himself?
7) Some books about the worst of life—Elie Wiesel's Night, Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle—
endure as inspirational classics. Why do people find hope in such stories? Does The Sun Does Shine make you feel angry or hopeful?