The Price of Salt

How does Highsmith use anti-lesbian prejudice to produce mystery in the novel? How do the era’s misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ+ laws frame concepts of crime in this love story?

The Price of Salt contains multiple genres, like romance and thriller. It is also a road novel. How does it compare to other novels in this genre?

Discuss the novel as a coming-of-age story. When and how does Therese grow?

Watch Todd Haynes’s adaptation of The Price of Salt, Carol (2015), and compare it to the novel. How does the movie address anti-lesbian prejudice? How does it turn Carol into the main character, and how does it capture the “blissful insanity” of her and Therese’s love?

One of Highsmith’s most famous novels is The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955). Read the book and put it in conversation with The Price of Salt. How does Ripley portray LGBTQ+ concerns, and how does Tom Ripley’s relationship with Dickie Greenleaf compare to Carol and Therese’s bond?

Like Highsmith, Elizabeth Bishop was romantically attracted to women but eschewed labels. Bishop is most known for her poems. Read “Letter to N.Y.” (1955) and discuss how the melancholy poem, dedicated to a woman, links to Highsmith’s novel. How does the poem relate to this novel’s themes?

How do money and consumerism influence the story? Therese buys Carol an expensive handbag, and Carol regularly tries to give Therese money. When does Therese accept Carol’s money? When doesn’t she? How do money and consumerism link to the key themes?

Aside from Dannie, none of the male characters come across as laudable. What makes Dannie thoughtful and the other male characters toxic? Is there any way to think of Richard or Harge as redeemable?