Angel Down

How does the recurring reference to childhood, from games to adventure stories, drive Kraus’s commentary on the way childhood normalizes or primes people to accept violence?

Compare and contrast the survival strategies of Cyril Bagger, Vincent Goodspeed, and Hugh Popkin. How do their respective methods reflect different corruptions of the human spirit in the face of industrialized war?

Analyze Ben Veck’s character arc as a critique of American nationalism during World War I.

Does the angel’s final metamorphosis from a Marian figure into a demonic “Adversary” reflect the cumulative violence she has witnessed, or does it reveal her true, original nature? Explain your answer.

How do characters like Arno, Reis, and Bagger respond to the traditional models of masculinity suggested by the narratives they read? What does this suggest about the way culture influences behavior?

How does Kraus use the setting of the ravaged Argonne Forest to comment on the environmental impact of war?

Cyril Bagger personifies his guilt as a “shamefly” called Uncle Sam. How does the characterization of the shamefly imply or elaborate the novel’s ideas on nationalism and patriotic duty?

Contrast the paternal influences of Bishop Bernard Bagger and Major General Lyon Reis. How do their respective directives shape Cyril Bagger’s ultimate relationship with his own surrogate son, Lewis Arno?