In the Lake of the Woods

What do you think happened to Kathy Wade? Claude Rasmussen says that she “got herself lost. The End. Period” (279). To what extent is this true or not true? Explain.

John and Kathy’s relationship seems, on the surface, to be a great love story. Do they love each other? In what ways does their relationship fulfill or subvert the idea of a strong marriage? What are the elements that make up a good relationship? Does their relationship have those elements or not?

Discuss the novel’s relationship to realism, paying particular attention to its use of historical documents in the Evidence chapters.

Why does Pat refuse to give the narrator/interviewer information about her sister? What does Pat believe happened to Kathy? What is her relationship with John? Explain Pat’s character in terms of these relationships. You must also explore the ways in which Pat is different from her sister.

O’Brien includes many historical accounts of massacres in United States history in his Evidence chapters. From your own research and using the sources in this novel, what are the effects of war atrocities on the psyche of the soldiers? What is O’Brien trying to say about war? 

Magic is a central motif of this novel. How is magic used and in what ways? What is the purpose of magic and what does it mean?

Discuss the role of the third-person narrator in the novel? Is the narrator reliable? How does the narrator’s voice affect the reader’s experience of the many traumas explored in this novel?

A significant theme of this novel is that the human heart is a mystery. How does this theme play out in the novel? Trace this theme through the lives of at least three characters. Recommended characters include John Wade, the narrator, Kathy Wade, Tony Carbo, and Richard Thinbill.