Plainsong

At the beginning of the novel, the author provides an epigraph detailing the nature of the title. How is this definition expressed in the body of the novel?

Russell is one of the novel’s key antagonists. Though he inflicts traumas on a number of different characters, is he in any way redeemable?

Smoking allows characters to reflect, relax, and examine the world around them. In what ways does the author use the smoking of cigarettes to signify a connection between the characters and their immediate environment?