Analyze the motif of seeing/blindness in the text. In what ways does Mona learn how to “see” in both a literal and figurative sense over the course of the narrative?

Contrast Mona’s Eyes and two other coming-of-age novels featuring elements of emotional and artistic exploration, such as Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief (2005) or Donna Tart’s The Goldfinch (2013). How are the texts different or similar in their handling of coming-of-age themes and tropes?

Choose one of the paintings featured in the narrative. How is this painting characterized and interpreted by Mona and Dadé? How does it reflect or further some of the novel’s key themes and ideas?

Examine the depiction of family in the novel. How does Mona’s Eyes explore the nature of familial ties? What does it suggest about the strengths and challenges of these relationships?

Grief plays an important role in the text, even though characters largely seek to suppress their grief throughout most of the narrative. How do the characters experience and respond to grief? What does the text suggest about the experience of grief and loss more generally?

Compare and contrast Paul’s and Dadé’s characters. How are they different or similar? How does each one influence Mona’s sense of self and emotional development?

Analyze the role of Mona’s academic and social lives on her self-discovery journey. How do these spheres impact how Mona sees herself? How does her changing behavior in each sphere reflect her changing emotional states?

Examine the role of micro and macro settings on the narrative atmosphere. How do settings like the Paris museums, Paul’s shop, Mona’s home, and Paris at large impact the characters’ emotional states and narrative arcs?