The Smell Of Other People's Houses

What is the author’s purpose in employing multiple narrators in the story? How do the diverse narrative perspectives reinforce or complicate the novel’s themes, and in what ways do they inform the story’s setting? Consider the sociohistorical context of Alaska in the 1970s.

Consider Hitchcock’s discussion of Alaska’s statehood in the novel. How do they manifest in each of the individual characters? How do they resonate with contemporary experiences in Alaska, and how might a contemporary setting have altered the characters and plot?

Alaska as a setting is key to the protagonists’ character development. In what ways does the landscape influence their mindsets? What do landscapes such as oceans, trees, and even small towns symbolize about each character?