Analyze how Manny Winfrey’s secular, predatory version of “dominion” reworks his father’s theological philosophy. How does this dynamic shape interpretations of power, belief, and morality within the novel?

Both Priscilla and Diamond ultimately rebel against the patriarchal structures that confine them. Compare and contrast their paths to liberation. How do their differing choices and actions complicate or expand the novel’s portrayal of female agency?

Explore the role of minor male characters who exist on the social periphery, such as Midas “The Joker” Benny, Yancey Bailey, and Jimmy Wooten. How do these figures interact with or challenge the authority of the Winfrey men, and what do their experiences reveal about power, visibility, and marginalization in the community?

Analyze the function of key locations in the town of Dominion, such as the Seven Seals Church, the Winfrey family home, and the Canoe. How does the novel use these spaces to reflect and shape power, belief, and secrecy within the community?

The study guide places Dominion within the Southern Gothic tradition. Analyze how Citchens updates the genre’s convention of the “grotesque” for a contemporary setting. In what ways does the novel redefine or reinterpret the grotesque, and how do these representations shape the reader’s understanding of the text’s social and moral concerns?

While Manny is the novel’s primary antagonist, the narrative hints at his own trauma, particularly witnessing Sabre kill the family dog. Analyze how the novel presents Manny as both a product of and a participant in a cycle of violence. How does the text position Manny within this cycle, and what tensions emerge when interpreting his character?

Analyze how physical objects, such as the Joker’s notebook, the locked box of panties, and Yancey’s bracelet, are used within the narrative. What roles do these objects acquire meaning across the novel, and what do they reveal about power, control, or hidden histories?

How does the concept of a “Reaping Season,” a local superstition for periods of tragedy, function within the novel’s broader narrative and cultural context? How does this idea shape interpretations of causality, responsibility, or belief within the story?