The Squatter and the Don

Does the novel make a clear political argument about what role women should have in policymaking? Use details from the text to orient your claim.

The Squatter and the Don has often been framed within different genres: the romance, the social reform novel, the political novel, and the sentimental novel. Using evidence from the text, argue how the novel does or does not fit into one or more genre descriptors.

How is pride represented as a sign of nobility and a dangerous quality in the text? Use different characters to support your argument.

The squatters have individual personalities but mostly function as a group in the novel. Why does this collective function matter, and how does it fit into one of the larger political arguments in the text?

What does the novel argue is inherent about class? Consider Gabriel’s work as a bricklayer or the description of various women as “ladylike.”

How does the novel express the dangers of in-group bias? Does it provide a solution or way to avoid these dangers?

Does the novel suggest that Darrell is ultimately to blame for Mariano’s death? Why or why not?

How do contemporary modes of travel (steamboat, railroad) affect how the novel treats distance between certain locations (e.g., San Diego and San Francisco)?