Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss your overall impressions of Brawler. Which were your favorite and least favorite stories, and why?

2. Explore the collection in comparison to Groff’s other titles. What stylistic, narrative, and/or thematic overlaps do you notice between Brawler and other Groff titles like The Vaster Wilds or Matrix?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The stories “The Wind” and “To Sunland” are both about escape and self-reinvention. How do Michelle and Joanie’s attempts at creating their own lives resonate with your own attempts to define yourself?

2. Both “Between the Shadow and the Soul” and “Brawler” depict characters in states of entrapment. Have you ever felt suffocated by your circumstances or relationships the way Eliza and Sara Brawler do? Did you choose to remain in this situation or not, and what influenced your decision?

3. In “What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?,” Chip struggles to remake himself, passively accepting his privilege. In comparison to Chip, what role did money or status—or the lack thereof—play in your experience?

4. Analyze Groff’s representations of family throughout the collection. How do the characters conform to or rebel against their families, and why? How do these family systems compare with your own?

5. “The Wind,” “Under the Wave,” and “Such Small Islands” all feature child characters. Which of these representations of childhood most resonates with your own childhood experiences? How and why?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The collection explores the distorting effects of class and privilege, specifically through “What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?” Analyze this story and theme through the context of contemporary American culture. What current events might the story be engaging with? What social commentary is Groff making about wealth and power?

2. The majority of the short stories feature women caught between personal desire and a gendered sense of duty. Analyze the stories through a feminist lens. How does Groff represent the female experience in the context of a larger social history?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Analyze the collection’s use of point of view. How do the first-person narratives compare and contrast to the third-person narratives, and to what effect?

2. Compare and contrast the mother figures across the collection. Analyze how Groff explores maternity via characters like Michelle, Ruby, Joanie’s mom, Sara’s mom, Julia, the woman, or Aura’s mom. How do these women relate to their children, representing different iterations of this experience?



3. Discuss Groff’s use of violence throughout the short stories. How do recurring scenes of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse function in the context of the larger collection? What redeems the characters in such hostile worlds?

4. Identify three symbols not explored in the guide and discuss their significance. For example, what might images of bees, water, alcohol, or jewelry represent, and how do they develop the text’s key themes and ideas?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you are adapting Brawler into a television series. How would you structure the show? Who would you cast in the leading roles? How might you create more imagistic or narrative links between the stories to deliver Groff’s larger themes?

2. Create a playlist that captures the evolving tenor of the short story collection. Which songs would you choose to represent the atmosphere of each story? Share your playlists and discuss your reasoning behind each chosen song.