1. In Chapter 13, when Juliana questions the change in Joe's appearance, he replies, "I'm tired of being a wop." What changes in Joe does she witness? How can his statement be interpreted in more than one way? What is being implied here?

2. In Chapter 7, the reader learns more about Childan through his dialogue with the Kasouras and through a further glimpse into his inner thoughts. What do we learn about his political and cultural views? What does this say about his character? Are his views justified? Has your opinion of him changed at all since you first met him in Chapter 1?

3. How has Tagomi's most prized possession a "perfectly preserved U.S. 1860 Civil War Colt .44, a treasured collector's item" changed in significance as the story progresses?

4. Frank thinks Juliana may be able to help him and McCarthy sell their jewelry. He looks at this relationship as being strictly business. What qualities does he see in her that could be helpful? What does this further reveal about her character? Do you feel this is the real reason he would like to contact her?

5. Paul's proposal to mass market the Edfrank Jewelry is turned down by Childan, despite the fact this could have made him very wealthy. What has the jewelry come to symbolize to Childan that makes it more important than wealth? How does this realization affect him?

6. Why is Tagomi shocked when the elderly man shows up for the meeting with Baynes? What concerns does Tagomi share with him? What is the visitor's reaction to these concerns?

7. Reiss speaks about the "power of fiction" and sees The Grasshopper Lies Heavy as dangerous. In what way can it be dangerous?

8. In Chapter 8, upon entering the Kasoura neighborhood, Childan thinks to himself, "I do not belong here." In what way is this statement true? What does the author draw upon from actual history to depict this scene?

9. In Chapter 9, Joe accuses Juliana of being guilty of "worry, fear, and suspicion about him and everything else in the world." In what way is this true? Are her feelings well founded? What might this be foreshadowing?

10. The Kasouras seem to be obsessed with the American way and their American guest and go out of their way to treat him as an equal. How is this demonstrated? What aspect of early 1960s America does this reflect?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Often a character faces both inner and outer conflicts that define his personality. Choose a character from The High Castle and discuss both an internal and an external conflict faced by this character (one may lead to the other or they may be completely separate). For each, define the conflict, describe how the character dealt with the conflict, and explain how (if) it was resolved. Go on to discuss what this says about this character. Be specific throughout.

Essay Topic 2

Authors have many techniques available to help them develop a character. These include physical description, dialogue with another character, personal thoughts or monologues, and comments from other characters or from the author himself. Select a character from the novel that you feel has been fully developed. Discuss how the character was given a personality through the author's use of the above techniques. Be specific with both character traits and how they were developed.

Essay Topic 3

The I Ching played a key role in plot development. Explain what the I Ching is and what purpose it serves to its users. Give examples of the role it played in moving along the events of the story.

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