Discuss identity. Sierva is of white and some Indian descent, yet she knows little of Spanish culture. She is raised by the black slaves because her parents reject or neglect her. In what way does Father Cayetano give her an identity? Is this just an identity as his love, or is it also an intellectual identity?

Discuss fatalism. There is a strong current in the novel that fate cannot be changed. Even when characters make good decisions, they are often altered by magical events. Does this affect the enjoyment of the novel, that the conclusion, the death of Sierva, is known in advance?

The author is known for his use of magical realism. Is this used in a fair way by the author? Does the magical realism strengthen the symbolism of events? Father Tomas, the good exorcist, suddenly dies. Is this magical realism, or...