Giles Goat-Boy Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

Giles Goat-Boy Key Questions

1. What seem to be the dominant attitudes expressed toward technology and science in this novel?

2. How do the various frames Barth places around the main narrative affect the reader's interpretation of the story?

3. Is Giles finally a satire directed at religion or a confirmation of the truths of religion?

4. Would the novel be improved or harmed by removing much of its repetition? Is its length entirely necessary?

Mostly necessary?

5. What do the main characters learn about themselves by the end of the book? Can the self-knowledge gained by characters in this book be used by the average reader to increase his or her self-knowledge?