The Cave Dwellers (An American Satire) Reading Guide

1. Discuss Besty's continued obsession with affluent families and life of luxury. Do you think she's satisfied when she's admitted to "The Washington Country Club" or will she always be a social climber? Why or why not?
2. Billy is the son of a general. They live in a home trimmed with Doric columns, and Billy speaks to his father with the respect one gives a general. He lives a life of affluence with a guaranteed admittance to West Point. Why does Billy get upset when Marty teases him about his last name being the reason for the opportunities he has? Is there an underlying feeling of guilt—why or why not?
3. Bunny takes Mackenzie Wallace under her wing despite Bunny's mother, Meredith, insisting the Wallace family are "commoners." What do you think Bunny's intentions were in cultivating a friendship with Mackenzie?
4. Chapter 15 is a pivotal point for Bunny, Mackenzie, Billy, Marty, and Stan. How does their inherent privilege play into their grave mistake?
5. How does Cate assert her dominance over Senator Wallace in the crypt at the Banks family's funeral? How is this a pivotal moment for Cate's career?
6. Discuss Bunny's initial motives for visiting Anthony Tell in jail? How does Anthony's situation mirror the modern American justice system?
7. On the way to meet her mother for a Georgetown Christmas homes tour, Bunny finds out that her birthday check has bounced. As she tours the historic houses, Bunny's patience with high society dwindles. Discuss the causes that lead to Bunny's breakdown during the tour?
8. Are Senator Wallace's intentions pure when he reaches out to Lisa to apologize about his sexual misconduct? Why is his conscience constantly guilty when it comes to women and sex?
9. By the end of the book how have the teenagers changed? In your opinion, who has changed the most? Was it for better or worse?
10. Was it a shock when Senator Wallace's name didn't show up in the news story about sexual misconduct in politics? Why or why not?
11. What motives does Cate have to send the voice recording of Senator Wallace to the Washington Post reporter in the end? Why do you think she ultimately decided to hurt Senator Wallace?
12. We're never told who actually killed the Banks family. Who do you think committed the crime and why? Do you think the true killer will ever be uncovered?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Gallery/Scout Press. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.