The Moonstone

What is the impact of Wilkie Collins’s use of multiple narrators? How does this narrative structure illuminate some of the novel’s key themes and ideas?

Analyze the gender dynamics in the novel. How are ideals of English Victorian femininity and masculinity explored in the text? In what ways, if any, do gender dynamics influence the course of the mystery?

The novel features several characters who are not exactly as they present themselves to the world at large. How does the novel examine the complexities of hypocrisy and appearances versus reality in Victorian society?

Examine how the novel deals with elements of colonialism and orientalism. In what ways does the novel reflect colonialist assumptions? In what ways, if any, does it critique colonialism?

Much of the novel’s plot revolves around either memories reconstructed by specific characters, or gaps that result from someone being unable to remember. How does the novel depict the nature of memory, bias, and/or subjectivity?

Analyze the role of minor characters in the novel, e.g., Dr. Candy, Miss Clack, Mr. Bruff, or Gooseberry. How do these characters serve to develop themes or social critiques within the world of the novel?

Class is an important element in the text, determining many of the social and emotional dynamics between the characters. How are class hierarchies depicted in the text? What roles does class play in shaping the plot, characterization, and/or the novel’s key themes and ideas?

The novel references the importance of other texts, such as Robinson Crusoe, religious pamphlets, and the various primary documents produced by the characters. What is the wider significance of these texts in the novel? How do these various forms of writing and storytelling relate to one another?