The Fraud

What is the significance of writing and the literary world in the novel? How are storytelling, literacy, and/or literary fame depicted? How do these elements illustrate the novel’s key themes and ideas?

Racism takes many forms in the novel, both overt and covert. What are some of the ways The Fraud explores and exposes racism?

Explore the novel’s depiction of gender dynamics. How are femininity and masculinity constructed within British Victorian society? How do different characters conform to, or diverge from, these gender dynamics and expectations?

Analyze the characterization of Henry Bogle. How is he depicted? What is his role in the novel? What does his character and perspective suggest about confronting and overcoming racism?

The novel is constructed in a non-linear timeline, featuring many flashbacks in Eliza’s life and spotlighting a lengthy story-within-a-story as Bogle shares his past. What is the significance of this structure? What does it suggest about the nature of past and present, and the nature of memory and identity?

Smith uses Charles Dickens as a marginal but important character. What is Charles Dickens’s role in this novel? How does he compare with the characterization of William?

The Tichborne case attracts considerable notice and inspires passionate support from many people, especially amongst lower-class people like Sarah. What is the significance of the case within the narrative? How does the trial illustrate some of the novel’s key themes and ideas?

While racial hierarchies play a significant role in the text, class hierarchies are also depicted as both insidious and important. How is class depicted in the text? How do issues of class intersect with issues of gender and/or racial identity in the novel?