City of Glass

In what ways does City of Glass imitate or pay homage to pulp detective fiction, and in what ways does it subvert the genre? What does Paul Auster mean when he says that “you can’t hate something so violently unless part of you also loves it” (97), and how might this quote relate to the narrative’s use of detective fiction?

Discuss the protagonist, Daniel Quinn, paying attention to the various aspects of his identity that present themselves throughout the narrative. How does the “real” Paul Auster in the novella relate to these identities? Explain using examples from the text.

Analyze the appearance of the second Stillman in the train station. How does his appearance and disappearance contribute to the novella’s atmosphere, plot, or themes? What might he suggest about Quinn’s state of mind, or the nature of reality?

Analyze the use of telephone calls throughout the novella. Choose the two or three most crucial phone calls in the story and discuss how they impact Quinn and/or the plot.

Choose three of the literary allusions in the novella. What is the significance of these metafictional structures to the plot and/or themes?

Discuss the metafictional aspects of City of Glass. How do they deepen the thematic meanings of the novella, specifically its exploration of identity? What does this connection indicate about the relationship between identity and text/narrative?

Discuss the role of Stillman (the father) in the novel. Why is he so preoccupied with the Garden of Eden, the Tower of Babel, and the fall of humanity from innocence? How do these ideas relate to his theory of language?

What does City of Glass suggest about the inherent coherence of identity and/or reality in a postmodern world? Why do some characters have more extreme reactions to these conditions than others in the novel?