Boy, Snow, Bird

In what ways does Boy fit the stock character of the evil stepmother? To what extent is she conscious of those parallels? How does she consciously work against them?

Boy, Snow, Bird is divided into three sections; the first and third parts are narrated by Boy, but the middle section is narrated by Boy’s teenage daughter, Bird. What is the function of this narrative shift? How does the second part of the novel set up the concluding section?

Of the three titular characters, only Snow does not get the opportunity to narrate any part of the book—we only get her voice through letters and dialogue. Why might Oyeyemi have kept the reader outside of Snow’s mind? What do we gain by staying there? What do we lose?

What statement does the novel make about the practice of racial passing? To what extent does the novel justify the actions of people like the Whitmans, and to what extent does it indict them?

What other types of passing exist in the novel? What statement does the novel make on these other forms of passing? How do they contrast with the novel’s arguments about racial passing?

How does the novel define the concept of evil? Choose a character who satisfies at least some part of that definition. What makes this character evil, according to the novel’s understanding of it? In what ways does this character work against it, either actively or subconsciously?

Using examples drawn from the text, explain to what extent, if any, external, systemic forces can justify our actions.

In what ways does the novel subvert traditional gender roles? What statements does the novel make concerning gender and sexuality?