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Dominie Scholte
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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
*Answers will vary
1. Why did Henry Scholte feel he needed to lead an emigration to America?
* He wanted to gain religious freedom for himself and his followers.
2. What does the separation of church and state mean? What is your view on this issue?
* It means that there is not one official church for the country that is controlled by the government. The government does not dictate if and how people worship. (Opinions will vary.)
3. What is the background to the name Pella? (p. 42)
* Pella was a city of the Decapolis in Asia Minor where Christians fled (around 68 A.D.) to because of the terrible happenings in Jerusalem. It was a beautiful "city of refuge".
4. What was Mareah's initial reaction to Pella and why do you think she reacted this way? (p. 46)
* She was extremely disappointed and sad. She had pictured a well-built settlement but all she saw was a crude log cabin. She had always been accustomed to riches and beautiful possessions.
5. What character traits were the Dutch settlers known for?
* They were known for their thrift, hard work, cleanliness, etc.
6. What happened to Mareah's Delft, and what was done with it? (p. 55)
* All but 6 plates had broken on the journey from Europe. Workmen used the fragments to make a path from the old log cabin to the new Scholte home.
7. Describe the Scholte home.
* Large, beautifully furnished, etc.
8. What were some of Mareah's most treasured possessions, and why did she value them so much?
* Piano - she was very musical, tea set, fine dishes - she loved to entertain, oil painting of Henry Scholte - from Holland
9. How did Count Van Raaming's views differ from Henry Scholte's?
* He believed Holland's government was a good and fair one.
10. What connection did Henry Scholte have with Abraham Lincoln?
* He campaigned for Lincoln in Iowa and became Lincoln's "Dutch friend". He went to Lincoln's inauguration. Lincoln's death caused him great sorrow.
11. How do you know Henry Scholte was a forgiving person? (pp. 96-97)
* He never held a grudge against the King of Holland for the way he and his colony had been mistreated.
12. How did many of the other women of the colony treat Mareah and why?
* They sometimes felt she was too concerned about herself and her possessions and didn't want to do ordinary hard work. They found her hard to understand.
13. Why did Mareah go to Detroit? What effect did it have on her future?
* She wanted a private school for Dora. She probably also just wanted to get away from Pella following her husband's death. There she met Robert Beard who later married her.
14. Why is this book called A Stranger in a Strange Land?
* Mareah never grew completely accustomed to America.
15. Who is the author, and how is she related to Henry and Mareah Scholte?
* Leonora R. Scholte - daughter-in-law
16. What was Mareah's attitude concerning Pella in the last years of her life? How had it changed?
* She admired it and felt a satisfaction in seeing how it had grown and prospered. She had conquered much of her homesickness.
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