Arcadia

Arcadia by Lauren Groff is a contemporary literary novel published by Hyperion Books in 2012. The novel traces protagonist Bit’s life in the titular Arcadia from childhood to adulthood. It considers important questions about human nature, society, and responsibility to oneself and others.

Lauren Groff is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels and two collections of short stories. Groff is a Guggenheim Fellow.

This guide is based on the edition published by Hyperion Books (2012).

Content Warning: Arcadia mentions sexual abuse and harassment, implied miscarriage, infant death, and death by suicide, and depicts child endangerment, depression, drug abuse, unclear sexual consent, and assisted suicide.

Plot Summary

Bit is a young boy who lives in a New York commune named Arcadia. He is lauded as the first Arcadian because he is the first child born within the community, in 1968. As a child, the myths of Arcadia’s conception inform his sense of self: Arcadia is a small community full of people who love Bit and take care of him. By age five, he starts to conceptualize the world in profound, sometimes confusing ways. He is confused about his mother’s depression that leaves her bedridden and unable to care for him.