NW

Choose one of NW’s minor characters, like Ned, Barnes, or Pauline. Explore their significance in the novel. How do they exemplify or provide contrast to NW’s major themes?

Several characters in NW, from Marcia to Michel, view education and career as keys to success in life, yet their reasons for doing so aren’t uniform. Discuss the differences between their perspectives, and how those differences motivate characters’ actions. 

NW ’s characters share common concerns stemming from the realities of London life: multiculturalism, the intersection of multiple identities, the pursuit of economic success, family drama, and the search for personal fulfillment, among others. Some characters respond to these concerns with optimism, while others feel themselves lost in the chaos. Would you defend one group or the other? Or would you reconcile the two positions? 

Racial tensions in contemporary London are reflected throughout NW. In what ways do these tensions highlight characters’ senses of identity? In what ways do they highlight their struggle to create an authentic sense of self?

Feminist concerns, and general questions of what it means to be a modern woman, surface throughout NW. Discuss these concerns by comparing the perspectives of Leah and Natalie to the worldviews of their mothers, Pauline and Marcia.

Undoubtedly, NW focuses on city life, but references to nature and natural imagery punctuate the narrative. What is the significance of these references for the existential issues the characters face?

NW features numerous passages that make direct reference to London geography, including map directions, names of neighborhoods, streets, buildings, and parks, and detailed descriptions of characters’ walking paths through the city. Why do you think Smith focused so much on providing authentic geographic details? What effect do you think they have on the narrative?

Discuss the significance of NW’s non-linear narrative—its jumps in time, side stories, and multiple converging plots. What is the effect of this unusual narrative structure? How does it relate to the novel’s core themes?