Green Grass, Running Water

In Green Grass, Running Water, the narrator is telling the story to Coyote, rather than the reader. It is also implied the narrator is retelling a story they heard from the escaped elders. This leads to sections where the narrator breaks with the story to talk to Coyote about what is happening. What is the effect of this layered narrative structure? Why do you think King chose to do it this way?

When talking to Lionel about his life, Eli claims that telling him the meaning of the story would ruin it. Explain what you think he means by this. How is this idea mirrored in the text as a whole?

The novel is full of symbolic objects, names, and images that cross cultural boundaries or blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy. Choose one of these symbols and trace its development through the text. How does it reflect and influence the novel’s major themes?