The Fall of Edward Barnard Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

The Fall of Edward Barnard Topics for Further Study

Which is more important in shaping a person's personality: his genetic inheritance or his social environment? In other words, is "nurture" more important than "nature," as the story would seem to suggest? If so, are people no more than the products of their environment? How might you be different had you grown up in a different environment?

Research the topic of intercultural marriage. What are some of the problems typically encountered by people marrying someone from a different culture?

Do you think that Edward made the right choice or is Bateman right in thinking that he is wasting his life? Can their different sets of values be reconciled, or must a person always choose one or the other? Can one have what Edward wants— beauty, truth, and goodness—as well as the material values of American life?

Research the effects of the French colonization of Tahiti and other...
(read more)