LITR 3731: Creative Writing 2006

Discussion Leader's Questions 

Jonathan Moeller

Questions for Marina Collier’s "Jack" story.

  1. Who is the narrator?  At times, he or she speaks like the other characters in the story.  Does the narrator know the characters?  Is it an unreliable narrator?
  2. Is there a particular reason the story is set in 1935?  If the date was left out, the reader could approximate the time through historical references.
  3. How was the idea conceived?  Is it pure invention?
  4. The last chapter ends with unresolved questions.  Are there plans to continue writing more chapters and finish the book?
  5. Are any literary elements intentionally used in the story?  I thought that the story might be an allegorical tale about the great depression.