25 Discussion Questions for Know My Name by Chanel Miller (With Analysis) | Chapterly Blog
Chanel Miller's Know My Name is one of the most important memoirs of the 21st century, and Know My Name discussion questions push readers to confront how sexual assault survivors are treated by the legal system, the media, and society at large. Miller was known only as "Emily Doe" when her victim impact statement from the Brock Turner case went viral in 2016. This memoir is her reclamation of her identity, her story, and her name. Whether you are leading a book club, teaching a course on memoir, gender, or law, or facilitating a community conversation about sexual violence, these 25 questions are designed to generate honest, substantive discussion. These questions are organized by theme. Know My Name Discussion Questions: The Justice System Miller's account of the criminal justice process reads less like a path toward resolution than a second assault conducted in slow motion and under fluorescent lighting. Her precision in documenting every procedural indignity -- the invasive questions, the delays measured in years, the defense strategies designed to erase her personhood -- transforms a personal memoir into a structural critique. These questions push readers to examine not just what happened to Miller but what the system is designed...