54 pages • 1 hour read
Ella BermanBefore We Were Innocent
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How does this novel link the inauthenticity of influencer culture with the broader distortions that the established media outlets create? Analyze the similarities between the news media with Joni’s later status as a social media influencer, using at least three key examples from the text to support your interpretations.
How does this novel depict friendship in late adolescence and early adulthood? How would you characterize the relationship between Bess, Joni, and Evangeline?
What argument might this novel be making about wealth? How is affluence represented, and how does it impact each of the characters? Use examples from both timelines to support your views.
How does this novel craft a situation that openly critiques the true-crime industry?
How does the author use foreshadowing? Which important moments of the story were foreshadowed, and what impact does this stylistic choice have on the resulting tension of the plot development?
Would you classify Joni as a true antagonist? Why or why not? Use specific examples from the text to support your analysis.
Compare and contrast Steven and Theo. How do their reactions to the events in Greece reflect the widespread damage that the lingering misrepresentations of true-crime narratives can cause?
Is Bess a reliable narrator? Why or why not? How might the novel’s tone change if Joni were the primary narrator?
Discuss Evangeline’s characterization through the novel’s themes and symbols. Is she sympathetic? Why or why not?
Discuss the ending of the novel. Are you satisfied with Bess’s explanation about what happened to Joni? Why or why not? Are there moments of foreshadowing that offer an alternative explanation of Joni’s disappearance?
