The Downstairs Girl

How does the text show that intersectionality is important to bring about large-scale, holistic social and political change? Which characters showcase the necessity of such an approach? Which characters resist it? How and why?

Bicycles or “safeties” are an important symbol in The Downstairs Girl. Why do you think Lee gives them so much importance? How do they compare with depictions of other forms of transport in the novel?

Jo lives in a basement and likes disguises and pseudonyms. How do these factors reflect the novel’s key themes and ideas?

Both Jo and Nathan love words, and Jo and Old Gin often talk using analogies, aphorisms, and witty sayings. The Miss Sweetie column is also infused with wordplay and humor. How is language used in terms of characterization, plot, and/or to illustrate the novel’s key ideas?

Analyze the gender dynamics in the novel. What ideals of masculinity and femininity does Jo have to contend with? How do different characters conform to, or diverge from, gender expectations and roles?

Ostensibly writing an advice column, Miss Sweetie uses the platform to advocate for social change. How are the connections between the personal and the political, as well as the individual and society, represented in the text? How do these factors influence once another?

In what ways does the Miss Sweetie column reflect the role of advice columns in 19th-century America? In what other ways does Stacey Lee blend historical and fictional elements in the novel?

Explore the idea of race and discrimination in the novel. How are the lives of racially marginalized characters affected? How are the experiences of mixed-race characters like Jo or Noemi’s brother different or similar to that of the characters who are regarded as wholly Black, Chinese, white, etc.?