Stranger in a Strange Land

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1961

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-5

Part 1, Chapter 6-Part 2, Chapter 11

Part 2, Chapters 12-17

Part 2, Chapter 18-Part 3, Chapter 23

Part 3, Chapters 24-29

Part 4

Part 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

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Essay Topics

Heinlein depicts the world through Smith’s innocent eyes. How does this naïve-yet-wise protagonist enable the novel’s critique of human society?

Heinlein makes little distinction between politics, religion, and a carnival sideshow. How does the novel draw parallels between these seemingly disparate social phenomena?

How does Heinlein’s portrayal of a global government—the Federation—reflect historical fears of the time? What are some specific examples in the narrative of an overreaching government?