Anxious People

Consider how the narrator is opinionated, omniscient, and addresses the reader directly. Can the narrator be considered their own character? Why or why not? What does the narrator add to the story? How would the story be different if the narrator were limited to one character’s perspective?

Consider the definition of Stockholm syndrome. How do the hostages exemplify this psychological phenomenon? How do they defy it? Do you think the other characters like Jack, Jim, and Nadia experience it in some form as well?

Consider how the narrator withholds key details from the reader until near the end of the novel. Why do you think the narrator does this? What effect does it have on the story and plot?