The Floating Opera | Topics for Discussion & Projects

The Floating Opera Key Questions

1. Is Todd Andrews's decision to kill essentially everyone in the town a believable one, or does it seem contrived by the author to make a point?

Would readers find a more compassionate decision more consistent with Todd's character?

2. If Todd's father had not committed suicide, is it likely that Todd would have developed a more positive view of life?

3. Do the attitudes expressed about sex in this novel have anything to do with love?

4. How are we to take the suicide attempt of Mr. Haecker at the end of the story? Is it a surprise? What is the dramatic function of such an act at the end of a novel in which a carefully planned mass murder has just been averted?

5. Can one argue that The Floating Opera would be more meaningful or more enjoyable...
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