Beside the Ocean of Time | Topics for Discussion & Projects

Beside the Ocean of Time Topics for Discussion

In your opinion, to what extent does Thorfinn's journey follow the stages found in a typical coming-of-age narrative? Discuss the extent of Thorfinn's development (ex. in relation to his values, his emotional life, his family) in the main narrative and any lessons or changes that he works through in his fictional adventures.

Beside the Ocean of Time includes a reference to Thorfinn's unnamed and best-selling novel, which charts the destruction of a primitive people by a vast military-industrial organization. Read and research George Mackay Brown's novel Greenvoe and provide a comparison of both texts. Discuss significant similarities and differences in style, narration, structure, imagery, and themes. In your analysis, evaluate the differences between the novels and discuss the impact these might have on the reader.

Beside the Ocean of Time was written near the end of the author's life. Is it true that the novel can be read as a...
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