Olivetti

Ernest’s and Olivetti’s first-person viewpoints work together to tell the story. What are the drawbacks of allowing deeper insights and revelations to come only from these two characters? How would the novel change if additional first-person viewpoints were added?

Each setting is described via strong sensory descriptions. What two settings struck you as the most narratively significant? How does the author’s use of figurative language contribute to the descriptions?

Another motif is that of heartbeats. What is the symbolic value of heartbeats throughout the novel? How does this motif help develop (or counteract) the main conflicts?

Frequently, Ernest or Olivetti will relay something before the other viewpoint character knows about it. For example, readers know that Beatrice left Olivetti in the pawn shop days before Ernest does. How does this use of dramatic irony affect the rhythm of the plot?

Ernest’s siblings all demonstrate traits that set them apart from the others. What are Ezra’s, Adalynn’s, and Arlo’s primary character traits, and how do these traits help to indirectly characterize Ernest?

Why might the author have decided to make Olivetti a typewriter instead of a computer, a telephone, or some other object?

The novel’s last chapter takes place months after the climax. Though Beatrice is not cured of her cancer, what techniques does the author use to convey a hopeful tone?

How does the author characterize the attitudes of escapism that permeate the novel? Consider elements such as the allusions to Narnia, Ernest’s preference for the roof, and Beatrice’s pilgrimage to Cannon Beach. What do the characters learn from their attempts to escape?