Topic 1

Make a timeline of the events described in the book. The chapters are organized chronologically—what role does chronologically have to play in the development of the novel? How else does time progress (or seem to stand still)? How does Ishiguro use time in An Artist of the Floating World?

Topic 2

What is the difference between Masuji Ono’s generation and his children’s generation? What similarities unite them in spite of their differences? What issues divide them? What traditions unite them? How does the difference between generations change over the course of the novel?

Topic 3

Compare and contrast Japanese and American culture in An Artist of the Floating World. What is associated with either culture? Who is aligned with either culture? How does the difference between the two cultures define the moral landscape for the novel? How does Masuji Ono make a place for himself...