Contact: A Novel

Compare and contrast the motivations of David Drumlin and S. R. Hadden. How do these two characters serve as complex foils to Ellie Arroway’s more idealistic search for cosmic connection?

What is the narrative function of the brief, omniscient cosmic vignettes that punctuate the early chapters of Contact?

The alien signal is described as a “palimpsest,” a text with multiple layers of meaning. How does this motif inform the novel’s understanding of the universe and illustrate the nature of Ellie’s personal history?

How does Contact subvert the Cold War-era convention of the alien invasion narrative? Discuss specific examples from the novel.

Ellie’s development is shaped by a series of influential male figures. Analyze how the various father figures in her life inform her personal and professional quests.

How does the international project to build the Machine simultaneously advance the human race and exacerbate its sense of provincialism?

How does Carl Sagan’s professional commitment to scientific and political realism affect Contact’s exploration of philosophical themes like faith, wonder, and the search for meaning?

Examine Contact through a feminist critical lens. How does Ellie’s struggle against institutional sexism parallel humanity’s broader struggle to overcome its provincialism?