Probably Unanswerable Questions
Jacob’s death; unshown intimacy; later relationships; adapting to Amish life
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:14Read transcript
- The upper-body-only bath and Book's toileting while injured raise practical questions.
- Jacob's cause of death is unknown; an orchestrated accident is jokingly proposed then doubted because Daniel appears incapable of violence.
- Illness compounded by inadequate treatment is another speculative explanation, with intentionally absurd remedy jokes.
- Sex after the kiss is affirmed on the basis of the screenplay and DVD essay, despite not being shown.
- The location of that intimacy is unknown; grass, a grave, an unfinished barn and the dance barn are imagined alternatives.
- Whether Daniel could satisfy Rachel after Book is questioned.
- Continued contact between Book and Samuel is hoped for and considered likely, with a return visit potentially unsettling the marriage.
- A later letter reporting Eli's death from poor treatment is a joke.
- Living Amish is appealing only in selected respects: Book and fresh food attract, while losing television does not; cream in coffee prompts a digression.
- Electricity, religion, showers, sports and media would obstruct adapting to Amish life; the initial belief there is no coffee is corrected by the movie's coffee scene.