City of Girls

The title of the novel refers to Billy’s play City of Girls. How else might the title be interpreted?

Compare and contrast Vivian’s birth family with her theater family. 

Vivian says that Edna’s life is driven by aesthetics. What does this mean? How do aesthetics function in the novel? Use examples from the text to support your answer. 

Vivian is a character who is motivated by sex. What does she gain from sex? Does she pay a price for it?

Frank says that “the world ain’t straight.” Explain what he means by this statement and how the novel reflects this idea.

Celia is an important part of Vivian’s early life, but she vanishes as Vivian grows older. What effect does Celia have on Vivian and the novel?

Discuss the dynamic among Peg, Olive, and Billy. Why does their relationship work? How does it reflect social attitudes of the time as well as the novel’s theme that “the world ain’t straight.”

How does Vivian change as a person over the course of her narrative?

Olive talks about the field of honor. What does this expression mean? How does it apply to Vivian’s life?