The Adventures of Augie March

How does Augie grapple with the nature of fate? Does he take control of his destiny at any point?

How does Augie’s understanding of social class evolve over the course of the novel? How does Bellow integrate different theories about class in the text? For example, how does Augie’s union work and Leon Trotsky’s appearance affect the narrative?

Should Einhorn be regarded as a positive or a negative influence on Augie’s life? How do his actions reflect the nature of 20th-century capitalism in the United States?

In what ways does the novel explore the nature of The American Dream? Does Bellow present it positively or negatively?

How does Augie’s trip to Mexico change his life? What does this setting provide that couldn’t be achieved in the book’s American locales?

To what extent can The Adventures of Augie March be described as a picaresque novel? Draw on other picaresque novels in your answer.

What is Augie’s relationship with books and literature? How does this develop over the course of the novel? What literary allusions does Bellow incorporate to deepen Augie’s characterization?

Compare and contrast the lives of Simon and Augie March. Which of the brothers ends the novel as the happier person?