67 pages • 2 hours read
Deanna RaybournKillers of a Certain Age
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaEssay Topics
How does the work’s first chapter draw the reader in and establish the importance of gender as a theme in the text?
How does Raybourn use World War II history as a motivating force for her characters?
Consider the major paintings Raybourn introduces in the work. How do they reinforce themes of gender, power, and resistance?
How do Helen, Mary Alice, and Billie change in their approach to life and relationships over the course of the text?
In what ways do social attitudes toward older women help as well as obstruct Billie and her friends in their quest?
Consider Billie’s attitude toward the morality of assassinations and the value of her work. Are there moments of ambiguity and doubt that lead you to doubt the righteousness of her cause?
Consider Billie’s relationship with Taverner. How do her choices about him reflect the limits her gender places on her freedom?
Choose a real-life female spy, revolutionary, or master criminal and describe how her status as a woman influenced her activities.
Discuss how the Museum relates to real-life intelligence organizations. Did any similar organizations exist, and could the Museum have existed in real life? Why or why not?
In what ways does Raybourn demonstrate that true friendship makes space for conflict and disagreement?
