In the Memory of the Forest

1. Voice

1.1. 21: The way Kowalski speaks about Leszek's father's eyes and the way he pats his father's shoulder with a lot of force shows rudeness and that Kowalski may not like Leszek's father.

1.2. 24: Tomek over reacted when he assaulted Leszek over his father complimenting Leszek while complaining about Tomek.

1.3. 34: Father Tadeusz judges people with prejudice like how he assumed Andrzej came to the church to ask for additional pay for his plumbing job, when he was actually there to tell him about the accident.

1.4. 40: Farby is not a very good mayor, considering how he got drunk at the distillery that he was sent to inspect.

1.5. 50: The way Jablonski and Zurek drank and fooled around with women showed how unprofessional they were and how easy it was to live when you were a bureaucrat and had power.

1.6. 57: Krupik is a very unreliable and lazy police officer because he insists that the murder took place in the forest and not elsewhere, so the inverstigation remains within Jadowia.

1.7. 62: Jola's relationship with Karol is not very good because she is having an affair with Leszek and Karol is always out drinking and neglecting his family.

1.8. 66: Leszek is very obvious with his interactions towards Jola and Karol definitely has his suspicions, showing this when he isn't as jolly as he usually is with others, when alone with Leszek.

1.9. 68: Karol giving Leszek subtle warnings like telling him to go to the bar instead of the clinic because it's faster shows that he knows something about the affair.

1.10. 72: Leszek blindly loves Jola because he was willing to kiss her in the privacy of the forest, even though he was fully aware that Jola was already married.

1.11. 79: Jablonski is a very shady person and may have connections with the murder of Tomek, considering how he was kicked out of his bureaucrat position earlier.

1.12. 86: Father Jerzy seems very suspicious and malicious and seems to want to gain power to meet his goals of some sort.

1.13. 88: Tomek's death most likely had something to do with the government because he was seen working with the mayor and other powerful people before he was no longer needed.

1.14. 90: Krupik is very reluctant to assist in the investigation of Tomek's death because he either doesn't care or he is involved himself or was told not to do anything.

1.15. 94: Powierza is probably correct in suspecting that Jablonski is involved or at least has some information on Tomek's murder.

1.16. 95: With Karol being a drunk and always treating his family poorly, it is somewhat understandable for Jola to be having an affair with Leszek because her current marriage is not very good.

1.17. 101: Farby is not very trusted or looked highly upon by his peers such as Jablonski and Czarnek, because they feel that they need to protect him, since they do not have confidence in him.

2. I Wonder

2.1. 13: What is the story that the Leszek mentions at the beginning of the novel?

2.2. 15: Is Leszek schizophrenic because he says that he still hears his father's voice, even though he has already passed away?

2.3. 16: Why was it a bad time for Leszek's family, and why did Leszek's father step down from the village council and refuse to be re-elected as chairman?

2.4. 21: Why is Kowalski so reluctant to sell his farm land to Leszek's family, even though he is too old to farm it himself and he'd rather sell it to others first?

2.5. 28: Is the girl that promised to meet Leszek Jola, who he mentioned before, and why did the girl not show up to their meeting place?

2.6. 31: Why have two cars shown up at Tomek's house in the winter?

2.7. 42: Do the Russians have anything to do with Tomek's death, since he was seen to be hanging around them and the mayor before his murder?

2.8. 44: What is the secret behind the woven rug on the wall of Czarnek's house?

2.9. 47: Who is 'they' when Jablonski's wife refers to how he is being treated poorly by certain people?

2.10. 51: Where does Zurek get the tractors for Jablonski, and how much political influence does he possess?

2.11. 56: What was the reason or motive behind the murder of Tomek?

2.12. 58: Do any of the businesses on the cards that Tomek had have anything to do with his murder?

2.13. 60: Why is Leszek worried when he sees Jola at the vet clinic and why does he refer to her as his secret and problem?

2.14. 65: Will Jola end up leaving her current husband, Karol, and pursue a relationship with Leszek instead?

2.15. 78: Why was Tomek so eager to get off the bus near the river instead of at the next bus stop, even though it was illegal to get off there?

2.16. 79: Why does Jablonski's name come up when Leszek asks the worker of the company, on one of the business cards Tomek had, if he had any information about Tomek, and why does he suddenly hang up?

2.17. 83: Why did Leszek's grandfather bring a large stone into the forest?

2.18. 84: What is at the bottom of the small depression that would make Leszek's grandfather bring a stone there and rest it gently, while checking for footprints and hiding his own markings with twigs?

2.19. 87: What is the goal that Father Jerzy is trying to achieve with the help of other townspeople?

2.20. 101: If neither Jablonski nor Czarnek killed Tomek, who did or at least has information?

3. Reminder

3.1. 15: All Souls Day reminds me of the tradition my parents my parents celebrate where they lit incense and burn fake clothes and money, as if sending it to the afterworld.

3.2. 15: Leszek's father reminds me of my friend's dog because they both are heterochromatic.

3.3. 18: "The fog and mist that erased the tops of the trees in the forest and brought the horizon close, yet indistinct". This reminds me of the day I went volunteering outdoors and the fog was very thick , so you couldn't see in front of you.

3.4. 22: When Leszek's father died and his family mourned for him, it reminded me of when my aunt died and my mother was also very sad.

3.5. 23: Tomek reminds me of Laurie from "Crow Lake" because they both anger their fathers with their rebellious actions, but at the same time resemble their fathers in personality and appearance.

3.6. 26: Jadowia reminds me of Tillsonburg because the youth of each town seem to want to leave, since there is not much to do there.

3.7. 33: When the police and physician arrived at Tomek's house, it reminded me of when the same thing happened to Kate in Crow Lake.

3.8. 54: When Tomek's sisters only come down to visit when Tomek dies, it reminds about how my brother only comes down to visit on holidays.

3.9. 78: Tomek reminds me of an old friend I had in middle school, but he strayed down the wrong path in life and is now doesn't go to school anymore.

3.10. 81: Leszek's grandfather's method of harvesting crops with a scythe reminds me of my grandparents because they don't like to rely on technology in their every day lives.

3.11. 96: Pani Slowek reminds me of my parent's friend because his wife left him and now he seldom leaves his house, unless he needs to, and he only talks to certain people if he can.

3.12. 105: When Leszek moved into the city to work, it reminds me of how I'm going to the city for school soon.

3.13. 106: When Leszek went to the city and saw all the different people and excitement that came with the city, it reminds me of when I go to Toronto, because it is much different than Tillsonburg.

4. Camera

4.1. 15: "He was thickset and strong. He seldom drank." I can imagine Leszek's father being a large bulky farmer who was not a drunk, so he was well respected and admired in the community.

4.2. 29: "My shared room, no more than a cubicle with three beds, three shelves and a table, stank most of the time of dirty clothes and remains of food." I can image a very messy room with nothing more than living necessities and old food and clothes scattered across the room.

4.3. 38: "He was short, plump, with a round face and thinning dark hair, and always seemed to have traces of bacon grease around his mouth." I can imagine Farby being an unkempt man who is a very unreliable mayor and abuses his power to make his life better.

4.4. 44: "For a time, he followed a path that he had worn himself, but after a few minutes, the path crossed the first of the narrow and mostly unused roads cut at intervals through the trees." I can imagine a dense forest with many narrow paths winding off in many different directions.

4.5. 45: "He stepped closer, saw the wound. the congealed yellow that had gathered like cheese amid the blood." I can imagine the scene that Father Tadeusz saw where Tomek's head had been smashed in with a blunt object and the blood and brain that seeped out from his head pooled onto the ground.

4.6. 65: "I saw while I spoke, that he had directed a long, unsmiling look at Jola, who returned his gaze for an equally unsmiling moment." I can imagine a scene where Leszek realized that Jola and Karol were not listening to him, followed by an awkward silence among them.

4.7. 73: "We continued meeting" There is a peaceful scene where two lovers are meeting in secret and enjoying their time alone in solitude from the rest of the world.

4.8. 76: "He had been dogged and thorough for two days, he had questioned every bus driver who pulled to a stop in the village square." I can imagine Tomek's father frantically searching for answers about Tomek's murder every day.

4.9. 81: "Narrow strip-fields planted with fodder grain, a mixture of barley, rye and oats." I can imagine a large open and golden field with lots of crops in the summer.

4.10. 90: "Some of the window panes in the back of the house had been replaced with cardboard" Krupik's house appears to be very worn down and not taken care of, with a depressing atmosphere lingering in the air.

4.11. 95: "Jola sat in the kitchen... Karol slept in his big chair." I can imagine a scene where Jola sits alone in the kitchen with the lights on, while Karol sleeps in the living room with complete darkness.

4.12. 101: I can imagine Jablonski and Czarnek in a dark room with little light speaking uncomfortably together, while Czarnek mocks Jablonski.

4.13. 105: I can imagine a bus full of people of varying backgrounds with Leszek, such as factory workers, but no farmers.

4.14. 216: I can imagine Lesaek being shocked to learn about the activities that his father participated in, without his knowledge, as it was a big shock to him.

4.15. 374: I can imagine a scene where Czarnek laid dead with his dog due to suicide by asphyxiation for his actions

5. Puzzle Piece

5.1. 18: The reason why Leszek's family was going through a bad time was because his sister had recently passed away and the country was already not prospering.

5.2. 21: When Leszek's father says "I'll be around, don't worry", that may be the reason why Leszek says he still hears his father's voice in his head.

5.3. 32: The story that Leszek mentions at the beginning of the novel has to do with Tomek's death and how he tries to find out why he was killed.

5.4. 37: The reason why a police car and town physician showed up at Tomek's house was to tell his father about his murder.

5.5. 45: Czarnek notices how there were tire marks around the corpse of Tomek, and remembers how he saw Tomek sitting on the bumper of a car with the Russians earlier.

5.6. 48: The people that are in control of the power are the people who removed Jablonski from his post as mayor, since they no longer needed him there.

5.7. 61: The reason why Leszek calls Jola his secret is because they both seem to secretly admire each other, even though Jola is married to Karol, the town vet.

5.8. 71: The reason why Jola and Leszek were already so familiar with each other was because they were secretly meeting up at Leszek's farm.

5.9. 88: The reason why Father Jerzy wanted to get help from the people of Jadowia was because he wanted to reveal the crimes of the mayor and other bureaucrats.

5.10. 93: The reason why Karol was so suspicious of Leszek and Jola was because he had many connections in town and had lots of information of the people in town.

5.11. 96: The reason why Jola had not left Karol yet was because she was afraid of the trouble that Karol would cause to her friends and family if she left him.

5.12. 99: Karol was drinking more often and being rowdy at home was because he already knew all about the affair, but did not directly mention it.

5.13. 103: They knew that Czarnek already knew about Tomek, because Piwek wouldn't be wandering in that area alone, and they already saw the paw prints of his dog in the area.

6. Character Development

6.1. 18: When society started to change as time went on, Leszek's grandfather refused to change and showed his old fashioned personality.

6.2. 20: When Leszek's sister died, it was easier for him when his grandmother died because he already had to bury a child, so it was easier to bury an adult.

6.3. 25: Tomek seems to have strayed off in life and doing shady work within the city and leaves his home without telling anyone when he does or when he comes back, since he does not like the farm he lives on.

6.4. 39: The way Farby fantasizes over Zophia, when he is already married, shows how easily swayed he is by young women and shows his true character.

6.5. 43: Czarnek is not social at all and seems to seclude himself to his house and factory, but does seem to like his dog's company.

6.6. 47: The way Czarnek indirectly sends Piwek towards Tomek's corpse shows that he is cunning and very passive because he did not want to get directly involved himself.

6.7. 48: After losing all the power he once had, Jablonski started to realize how corrupt and unreliable the government is, so he no longer wanted to be corrupt like them.

6.8. 53: After Tomek's death, his father is much more frantic and seems to be losing his sanity as he continues to look for answers.

6.9. 55: When Tomek's father tells Leszek how he wouldn't mind killing Tomek's murderer, he shows a more determined and dangerous personality.

6.10. 65: Karol doesn't seem to trust Jola at all since he does not treat her well at home after he suspected Leszek.

6.11. 70: After Leszek met Jola for the first time, he had fallen in love and became a more obsessive person and found himself following her around in the market.

6.12. 73: Jola is a very untrustworthy person because she often meets up with Leszek in secret.

6.13. 74: Jola is a more dark and depressed person than she originally presented herself to Leszek, stating that she is unsure of her future and often thinks that her life is a series of wrong choices.

6.14. 84: Father Tadeusz is a curious person and is this is shown when he follows father Jerzy around trying to figure out what he was doing when he saw him with a group of men.

6.15. 96: Jola shows a more selfless personality when she thought of the consequences of leaving Karol that would happen to her family, so she stayed with himself while suffering her self.

6.16. 97: Karol was supposed to be seen as a jolly man with a smiling face around in public, but when he goes home he is a rude and drunk person who constantly fights.

6.17. 101: Czarnek has a small childish personality when he calls Jablonski chairman when he knows that he doesn't like that name.