Nights at the Circus

The clowns, and Buffo in particular, are consistently compared to Christ and other Biblical figures. What is the significance of these allusions? How does it denote the role of the clowns in the narrative? What does it say about the juxtaposition of chaos and order?

In Part 1, how do Ma Nelson’s brothel and Madame Schreck’s “museum” foil one another? What is the significance of this foil? What does it say about the role of observer and objectification/dehumanization of others?

What is the significance of the “Ludic Game” motif? How does it relate to the theme of the observer and the witness and self-construction of identity?

In Part 3, Olga feels justified in killing her husband. To what degree is the observer/oppressor responsible for the acts of violence committed in the course of rebelling against social constraints? Are acts of violence from the oppressed justified if they were committed as part of a victim’s recourse?

How does Walser being a blank slate speak to his role in the novel as a character? What is the purpose of his transformation in the narrative? What theme is being exemplified in his character?

Discuss the influence of the magical realism genre on the text. How does the author use conventions of the genre to emphasize or communicate the narrative’s themes, particularly themes concerning how the characters perceive themselves and are perceived by others?

The Countess considers mercy to be “the opposite of justice” (214); the brigands, on the other hand, consider mercy to be a kind of justice, in recognizing that some crimes are committed for good reason. What does that say about the power of humans to judge and define each other and concepts that they use to govern one another?

Discuss the role of horror in the novel. Terror is present at many points in the novel—the horror of the metaphysical, of the body, of sexuality, and of the ungovernable. How does this relate to a view of women before the turn of the century?