57 pages • 1 hour read
Danya KukafkaNotes on an Execution
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Discuss the different lives led by Ellis and Ansel. Was Ansel born deviant, or was his violence the result of the ostracism and abuse he experienced growing up?
Read “The End of Evil.” What tone does Sarah Marshall take when speaking about (and to) Ted Bundy? How does the article’s influence on Kukafka come across in the Notes on an Execution?
Common motives for serial murderers of women include financial gain, anger, and “thrill killing.” Why might Kukafka have chosen to have Ansel murder young girls without assigning any of these motives?
Which conventions of a crime thriller does Notes on an Execution utilize? Which does it subvert? What effect is achieved?
Is there an ethical way to tell the story of a real crime for entertainment? What are the implications of reading books like Notes on an Execution for pleasure?
What effect is achieved by Kukafka’s use of the second person in Ansel’s chapters? How might Ansel’s character have come across if she used a different narrative style?
How does the influence of the patriarchy factor into Ansel’s crimes? How does it affect the way the media covers Ansel compared to his victims?
How does Notes on an Execution straddle the line between humanizing Ansel and justifying his crimes? Does including details about the abuse he suffered risk excusing his actions?
Why might women be inclined to consume more true crime content than men? What potential reasons does Kukafka identify within the novel? Can you think of any others?
How do Saffy’s visions feature in the novel? What do they symbolize, and which themes do they strengthen?
