Examine the roles of the minor characters Peggy and Raimondi. How do these two figures contribute to Ettie’s character arc and articulate the novel’s critique of the patriarchal art establishment?

How does Steeds present light as a symbol of Ettie? What does this symbolism reveal about her character, her relationships, and the novel’s overall meaning?

Research conscientious objection during World War I. How does this historical context inform Joseph’s characterization, the novel’s interpersonal conflicts, and its critique of patriarchal violence?

Although Amir is a minor character, he exerts a major impact on the protagonist. In what ways does Steeds use him to advance Ettie’s characterization and develop the themes of Subversion and Destruction as Feminist Resistance and Patriarchy as Rot?

In this novel about art, Steeds fittingly employs a range of literary devices to add to her prose’s artistry. Identify specific instances of these devices and analyze how they enhance mood, characterization, and theme.

How does The Artist and the Feast compare and contrast to historical fiction novels about real-world women artists, such as Joy McCullough’s Blood Water Paint (2018), which is based on the real-world 17th-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, and F. G. Haghenbeck’s The Secret Book of Frida Kahlo (2009)? How do the different authors explore the themes of feminist resistance?

Compare and contrast Tartuffe and Joseph as competing models of masculinity. How does the novel use their characters to critique the era’s dominant ideals of artistic genius, authority, and emotional expression?

The author alludes to Homer’s The Odyssey throughout the novel. How does this classical heroic journey inform the characters’ modern struggles?