Chocolat

In what ways are Vianne and Reynaud unreliable narrators, and how does Harris use this as a tool to explore her themes and cultivate the atmosphere of the story?

How does Harris use Armande and Vianne to explore the idea of individual agency in Chocolat?

How does Harris use the symbol of bells to explore her central themes? Consider the centrality of bells to Vianne’s mother’s Easter story and in St. Jerome’s church.

What role does romantic and/or sexual love play in Chocolat? You may consider Vianne’s and Josephine’s romantic histories and their relationships with Roux, Reynaud’s attitude toward women, Reynaud’s mother and père, or Caro and Georges’s marriage.

Why does Harris tell the story from two different points of view in first-person narration?

How does Harris present gender in Chocolat? How does gender affect different characters’ lives and relationships, and how does the setting of a small village and the centrality of the church impact this presentation?

How does Harris present animals in the story? Think about Charly, St. Francis’s pigeons, Pantoufle, and Armande’s cats.

How does Harris create a sense of place throughout the narrative? Consider literary devices such as her chapter headings, the use of French words, and imagery such as of weather or food. How is setting important to the story?