Identify three symbols not explored in the guide and analyze their relevance. For example, what do images of Boy Talk paraphernalia, the female characters’ clothing, or descriptions of music represent, and how do they advance the novel’s themes?

Compare and contrast Keith’s and Corey West’s differing anxieties and coping mechanisms. Analyze the economic, social, and thematic significance of the characters’ differences and similarities.

Explore how American Fantasy functions as a literary critique of nostalgia. Consider how each of the characters relates to the past and why. How do their relationships with their former selves complicate or cloud their understandings of their present selves and realities?

Discuss how the recurring motif of costumes and themed nights serves as a visual metaphor for the novel’s central conflicts. Analyze how these events represent different experiences for the Talkers versus the members of Boy Talk.

Examine the novel’s portrayal of the Talkers. Analyze the significance of this name, the power dynamics that define the group, and how the novel uses these traits to comment on aging women’s role in the social collective.

Analyze Keith and Shawn Fiore’s fraternal dynamic. How does their relationship develop the novel’s themes concerning rivalry, consumerism, and authenticity? Consider how one brother’s ambition is fueled by the other’s compliance.

Write an argumentative essay supporting or refuting the following claim: Annie’s character subverts the trope of the passive, middle-aged female fan. Analyze her journey from a reluctant attendee to an active agent in her own life. Consider also how her perspective changes on her career, her sexuality, and the fandom.

Analyze the references to and roles of photography and videography throughout the novel. How do these forms of digital memory-making relate to the novel’s explorations of nostalgia and the past, the future, and the unknown. Consider how the characters engage with or use photography and videography in accordance with their individual character arcs.