Lost Horizon

The narrator and Rutherford are only present in the Prologue and Epilogue sections, and yet they are the people through whom readers experience Conway’s story. What is the purpose of the framing device set up in the Prologue and Epilogue sections of the text? What textual support lends to the importance of the narrator and Rutherford as characters in the story, and how do their perspectives inform a reading of the manuscript Rutherford shares?

When Conway, Barnard, Brinklow, and Mallinson are kidnapped, they are in the process of escaping a revolution. How does this beginning to Conway’s story inform later events at Shangri-La? How does the backdrop of political turmoil and war contribute to the appeal of Shangri-La, and how do the different characters perceive the Baskul incident?

Conway, Barnard, Brinklow, and Mallinson all bring different perspectives to Shangri-La. Summarize each character’s goals and then contrast them with the purpose the High Lama gives Shangri-La. What values and goals allow Barnard and Brinklow to make lives for themselves in the valley? What is it about Mallinson’s understanding of his life that makes him so eager to leave Shangri-La? What makes Conway a good candidate for lama-hood?