In Chapter Two, Arnold relates that his elder brother received more than his fair share of attention from their father, and, in Chapter Five, he identifies the fact that he did not get certain things he needed as a child and that this is the basis for his overwhelming drive. Is the underlying sense of deprivation in his childhood simply a case of aggravated sibling rivalry? What could Arnold's parents have done differently to make him a more balanced individual? Discuss.

When Arnold's advances are rejected by a girl (Herta) in whom he is seriously interested because of her perception of the narcissistic aspects of bodybuilding, he follows the advice of the older bodybuilders at the gym and avoids the distractions of romantic attachments. Was he right to do this and would girlfriends have had a restraining effect on his career? Or was it...