The Submission Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

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The Submission by Amy Waldman

The Submission

A Novel

by Amy Waldman
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  • First Published:
  • Aug 2, 2011, 528 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Mar 2012, 336 pages
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Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, National 9/11 Memorial & Museum and our BookBrowse Review of The Submission.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

  1. What do you think the purpose and message of a national memorial should be? Would you have voted for the Void or the Garden?


  2. Reread the epigraph. What do its words suggest about the relationship between nature and human nature?


  3. As Claire tries to explain the tragedy to William (and, in a way, to Penelope), what does she discover about her own beliefs and feelings?


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  1. How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
  2. What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
  3. Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?


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

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Beyond the Book:
  National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

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