Analyze the contrast between the urban landscape of London and the suburban environment of Basildon. How does the novel use these two settings to explore class mobility? How do the residents of each setting drive the novel’s ideas?

The stranded whale, though a potent symbol for both personal and societal crisis, is also an ecological disaster that directly reflects the anxieties of the climate emergency. How might you read the phenomenon of the whale as an apt symbol for Brexit-era Britain? Consider the reactions to the whale as part of your answer.

Using the contrasting ways Ed, Phil, and Callum perform or subvert traditional masculine roles, what is McKenna’s view on male identity today? Is there a singular way to compound the novel’s manifestations of masculinity into one definition? Why or why not?

McKenna’s background is in experimental theater. Discuss how theatrical elements, such as dramatic set pieces like the warehouse party, charged dialogue, and a focus on physical performance, inform the novel’s narrative structure and style.

Though no longer in Ireland, Rosaleen chooses to remain silent about her traumatic childhood experiences. How does this reflect the older generations’ attitudes toward trauma and austerity? Is Rosaleen a realistic representative of her generation?

Discuss the ambiguity in the endings of Maggie’s, Ed’s, and Phil’s narrative arcs. Are their character arcs necessarily resolved, or is McKenna suggesting a larger idea in their open-endedness?

Discuss the significance of the physical body as a site of stress, trauma, and identity in Evenings and Weekends, considering Ed’s breathlessness, Phil’s dissociation, Maggie’s pregnancy, and Rosaleen’s illness.

The guide compares Evenings and Weekends to Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. Drawing on this comparison, analyze how both novels use a compressed timeframe and multiple perspectives to create a portrait of a city and its inhabitants at a moment of significant social and historical tension.