Welcome to the Monkey House

In what ways could this story, and the genre of science fiction, help readers to develop better insight into the modern world and its various cultures?

In what ways can humor, or satire, allow an author and audience to explore difficult topics? How does the satire in this story affect the readability and/or digestibility of the material?

Analyze the theme of Personal Freedom and Autonomy by discussing how its definition changes for Nancy throughout the story and how it might apply to you.

Explore the idea of color and physical sensation in the story and analyze how it relates to physical and emotional loss.

Analyze the character of Billy the Poet. How would you define his role in the story? Is he a villain, a hero, an anti-hero? Use textual evidence to support your answers.

How do the exposition and narrative changes affect the pace of the story? Would the story make sense without the exposition? What, if anything, does the background help readers to understand?

How does the dystopian nature of the story add to one or more of the themes? How do the setting and characters help add to the discovery of that theme?

How does the evolution of Nancy’s character over the course of the book develop one or more of the themes? In what direction do you think Nancy will take her life after the story ends? What textual evidence from the story offers support for your answer?