Gravity's Rainbow

Slothrop changes his clothes several times. What does each costume change say about his search for identity?

Why does Katje work for the British intelligence agencies? To what extent are her actions dictated by debt and grief?

Blicero is a domineering force in the novel. He is an abuser, a rapist, a torturer, and a criminal. Why do so many characters love him?

What does the research into the paranormal at the White Visitation say about the characters’ search for meaning in the world?

Mexico mourns the loss of his relationship with Jessica. How does he conflate love for Jessica with a nostalgia for the war?

The characters use drugs to alter their perception and experience of the world. Which is more addictive: the drugs, or the altered perceptions the drugs create?

Sex and violence are frequently linked in Gravity’s Rainbow. How does the portrayal of sex reveal the lingering impact of trauma and abuse? 

Which characters are successful in their search for identity? Does any character truly succeed in understanding themselves?