Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About this guide
The questions and discussion topics that follow are intended to enhance your
group's reading of Jonathan Franzen's
The Corrections, an unflinchingly
honest yet ultimately redemptive chronicle of an American family. We hope
they will help you approach the complex story of the Lamberts, which takes a
hard look at the role of family in contemporary society and questions the
effects of materialism in late-twentieth-century America.
Questions for discussion
- Consider the atmosphere of suburban
St. Jude (named for the patron saint of hopeless causes) in comparison to the
more sophisticated surroundings of Philadelphia and New York. Why has the
Lamberts' neighborhood evolved into a gerontocratic refuge? "What Gary
hated most about the Midwest was how unpampered and unprivileged he felt in
it" [p. 178]. What negative and positive qualities are attributed to the
Midwest? How are the characters shaped by the cities or towns they live in?
- What is the significance of "one last Christmas"? Is Enid's
obsession with the holidays predictable for a mother of her generation or is it,
as Gary fears, "a symptom of a larger malaise"
[p. 148]?
- Why does it take so long for the
Lamberts to acknowledge the seriousness of Alfred's illness? Is Al's deteriorating mental health
solely a result of Parkinson's disease? How are his physical and mental
deterioration linked? "Irresponsibility and undiscipline were the bane of
his existence, and it was another instance of that Devil's logic that his own
untimely affliction should consist of his body's refusal to obey him" [p.
67]. Why are these ailments especially humiliating for Alfred?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- 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.
