Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

A defining characteristic of the picaresque genre is the use of irony, humor, and absurdity. How does Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk incorporate these elements, and what effect do they have on the novel’s themes and characterization?

Lillian’s narrative is rife with references to major poets and their works—including but not limited to Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara, Harmonium by Wallace Stevens, A.E. Housman, Dylan Thomas, Hart Crane, and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Select one of these poets and conduct research on their life and works. What is the significance of the reference to this poet in the novel?

Lillian is particularly interested in ideas about revision and erasure; as an advertiser and a mother she sees herself as “creating and then erasing.” How does this idea relate to women’s roles in the home and the workplace?

Examine the novel’s setting in 1984 through a socio-historical lens. In what ways do references to the Subway Vigilante, immigration, popular culture, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic contribute to the novel’s portrayal of the setting in place and time?

Lillian frequently names the brands she sells, uses, and sees throughout her lifetime. How does name-checking these brands emphasize one or more themes of the novel?

Lillian says that “the street is the source of the latest things humans have invented—culturally speaking, at least. The last new things, maybe, that humans will ever invent” (59). How does Rooney construct the idea of the “street” in the novel?

In what ways do the chapter titles represent attempts at humor, double entendre, or larger thematic ideas connected to the content of the chapters? Choose three specific chapters and analyze their titles.

Discuss the moment when Lillian trades her mink coat for Keith’s jacket as the clock strikes midnight. What does giving up the coat represent, and why is its timing significant?