Empire Falls

Why does the author italicize the parts of the books that recount memories? How are memories different from events current to the book? What are the advantages of using memories in illuminating themes or character’s motivations? What about the disadvantages?

How does Miles Roby change during the course of the book? Or, does he change? What does the future have in store for him as he returns to Empire Falls? Will he pursue new opportunities, or will he return to routine? Provide specific textual examples to support the analysis.

How does social class function in the book? How does it shape the geography and psychology of Empire Falls? What role does wealth play in the development of the plot?

Grace is only revealed through Miles’s and others’ memories: How would you describe her character? How does the reader make sense of her many contradictions? What does her relationship with Miles reveal about her? What does her relationship with Cindy Whiting and Mrs. Whiting reveal about her? How is she central to the story, even though she is long deceased?

C. B. Whiting is another influential character revealed only through memory and also long deceased. How does his presence shape events far into the future? What experiences turn him into the person he becomes? Does he accept his fate, or rail against it? Why does he decide to die by suicide?

Mrs. Whiting’s motives are complicated and opaque: Why did she hire Grace Roby? Why does she implore Miles to come home? Why does she continue to act as his patron? Provide clear textual evidence to suggest that her motives are either altruistic or malicious—or both.

How does religion function in the narrative? Both Grace and Miles are devout Catholics, though Miles questions his commitment at one point, and there are numerous references to religious teachings throughout the text. What is the role of free will here? How do notions of penance and forgiveness influence events and characters?

How does the character of John Voss function in the narrative? The consummate outsider, he is the only character to hail from outside the boundaries of Empire Falls. What does his experience bring to the story? What effect does the school shooting have on the narrative and the characters?