The Sisters Brothers

Why does the novel feature so many animals and animal suffering?

To what extent is the human imagination a dangerous thing in the novel?

Eli and Charlie justify their violence and murder as necessities of survival. Are they right? Why or why not?

Discuss anesthetics and analgesics in the novel. How and why do characters want to numb themselves to pain? When are they successful? When do they fail?

Discuss the figure of the prospector in the novel. How does DeWitt approach this archetype of American Western mythology?

What is the role of dreams in The Sisters Brothers?

Why are cleanliness and dirtiness so important to the imagery of the novel? Which characters value cleanliness the most and why?

DeWitt offers a critique of the Western. Research the clichés and tropes of traditional Westerns and discuss how the novel subverts, deepens, or otherwise plays with them.