The Cost of Knowing

What divides Alex and Isaiah at the start of the novel, and how do they overcome these divisions? How does rebuilding their relationship transform both characters? In what ways do other characters help to foster this regrowth?

How does the motif of water support the theme of Fate Versus Free Will, and how does it contribute to the mood and plot? Make an argument for why the author chose water as a literary element versus another motif and explain how it connects the narrative together using examples from the text.

In what ways is Alex shaped by the tension between fate and free will? What obstacles does he face in his struggle to reclaim his free will, and how does he overcome them? How does this theme impact the story’s overall meaning?

What personal and societal factors pressure the novel’s protagonist to grow up too soon? By the end of the novel, how does Alex resolve these pressures?

How does the author use music to examine prejudice within the novel? What does music mean to Alex? To Isaiah? In comparison, what does music mean for the Zaccari family? Cite quotations from the text to explain why music means different things for these different characters.

How does Brittney Morris use the character of Mrs. Zaccari to examine the interconnected topics of prejudice, paranoia, and white fragility? How are her actions and assumptions directly tied to the violence perpetrated by her husband and her son? How do the Zaccaris impact the novel’s overall meaning?

Morris has described The Cost of Knowing as “a Black-boy-joy-despite book” (325). How do Alex and Isaiah find joy and demonstrate resilience in the face of these difficulties? How does each brother develop their own source of joy and how do they find joy together?

How does money influence Alex’s beliefs about maturity? How does his understanding of money and himself change over the course of the novel? What are the deeper implications of Alex’s preoccupation with money?