Beach Music

What role do secrets play in the novel? How do untold stories or concealed truths impact the characters and their decisions?What role do secrets play in the novel? How do untold stories or concealed truths impact the characters and their decisions?

Pat Conroy’s letter to the editor of the Charleston Gazette is included at the end of the novel. In it, Conroy defends his inclusion of violence and “grotesque” (772) historical events  in Beach Music. Do the moments of violence or tragedy enhance reader understanding of the novel’s characters and themes? Why or why not?

Even though none of the main characters participates actively in the war, the Vietnam War has a profound impact on Jack’s group of friends. How does Conroy use their experiences and opinions to explore the wider socio-political effects of the war?

Jordan, Father Jude, Lucy, and George commit acts that are considered wrong—legally, socially, or morally. Select two characters and compare and contrast their actions and motivations. Does the novel view their actions as justified or forgivable? Why or why not?

How do class and social standing impact the lives and opportunities of the characters?

Compare and contrast the role that religion plays in characters’ lives. What does the novel say about the value of religion?

Compare the novel’s settings of Rome and South Carolina. What does each provide for Jack? How does his life with Leah in Rome differ from their life in South Carolina?

At the beginning of Chapter 29, Jack states, “For me memory was the country of the usable past but now I began to wonder if there was not also a danger to unremembrance” (467). Does the novel support Jack’s statement that there is a danger to forgetting the past? Cite examples.