The Fencing Master Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

The Fencing Master Topics for Discussion

Each chapter has a title, and each title refers to fencing. After having read the chapters, can you find meanings for the titles beyond the practice of fencing?

Don Jaime continually refers to himself as old and speaks as if death is only a few years away. Considering that Don Jaime is fifty-six, this must seem strange to us today. Research the life expectancy of a male in Europe during the 1860s, and discuss how this information changes your opinion of Don Jaime's remarks regarding his age.

The Fencing Master is a work of historical fiction. For many readers the references to the politics of Spain in 1860 might be confusing. How much knowledge of nineteenth century Spanish history is necessary to understand and enjoy the murder mystery aspect of the novel?

On multiple occasions Don Jaime is referred to as an "eternal foreigner," or a foreigner everywhere he goes....
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