I Am You Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Dutch Golden Age Painting and our BookBrowse Review of I Am You.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

These are original discussion questions written by BookBrowse.

1. Discuss the title I Am You. In what ways is Gerta the "real" Maria van Oosterwijck? In what ways does Maria take on characteristics of Gerta? How does the relationship between Gerta and Maria progress throughout the novel?
2. Why do you think the novel is told through Gerta's perspective instead of Maria's? How do you think the story would have differed had Maria been the narrator?
3. What are some of the ways in which Gerta and Maria rebel against the societal expectations placed on women at the time? Do you see any parallels with the plights of modern-day women in your own country?

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