The Cellar

What moments in Chapter 1 foreshadow Summer’s abduction? How does the other utilize in other places in the novel’s first half?

What does the novel implicitly suggest about the demise of earlier Flowers (before those present when Summer arrives)? What context clues are there, and how do these clues impact the atmosphere of the cellar as a setting?

As Clover begins to lose control, the Flowers remain ignorant of these events. How does this impact the narrative mood and the pacing throughout the novel’s rising action, climax, and conclusion? Analyze specific passages to demonstrate how Clover’s loss of control juxtaposes against the Flowers’s captivity.

How does Shannen’s backstory differ from the other abducted women’s backstories? How does the author use Shannen’s character to complicate or further contextualize Clover’s characterization? What other character pairs share a relationship in which one helps to better characterize the other?

How does the narrative explore maternal influence through Colin's relationship with his mother? What specific interactions reveal the complexities of their bond, and how do these interactions shape Colin's choices and identity?

The novel depicts various familial and kinship dynamics, including the relationship between Summer’s family and Lewis’s family, Clover’s abusive understanding of “family” in deciding to start the Flowers, and the essential support the Flowers offer each other while held captive. How does the novel develop these different dynamics? How do they contribute to explorations of love, consideration, resilience, cruelty, and violence? How does Summer’s understanding of family change after the cruelty she experiences in the cellar?

What is the effect of the author’s choice to employ the perspectives of Clover and Lewis in the narrative? How might other literary elements such as plotting, irony, setting, and characterization change if Summer wholly delivered the narrative?

The author employs dramatic irony throughout the novel, especially through the use of multiple viewpoints. Which moments of dramatic irony contribute to the mood of suspense? Which moments of dramatic irony contribute to the theme of Manipulation of Identity and Resistance Against Erasure of Self?