The Signature of All Things

Discuss Henry Whittaker’s status as a self-made man and his quest to become a rich and admired gentleman. You might consider his adventures in terms of 19th-century views of conquest and colonization to be a kind of Bildungsroman—a narrative of a young man’s education—or a picaresque, a narrative of adventure. You might also discuss how Henry provides an example of Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest or Alma’s theory of competitive alteration.

Discuss the ways in which Prudence and Alma act as foils and contrasts to each other throughout the novel. Note their different character types as well as their different character arcs, and determine whether there are ways that Prudence or Alma complement one another or supply qualities that the other lacks. (If you wish to expand the discussion, consider what qualities Retta Snow adds to the sisters’ relationship and how Retta provides a relief, a balance, or an alternate viewpoint.)

Discuss how the latent themes of sexual relations and sexual awareness provide a different pathway to knowledge and how those private, personal realms contrast with the scientific knowledge that is valued in the novel. What does it mean that Alma’s experience of sexual pleasure is self-focused? Does this comment in any way on her scientific career or ambition?