The Children of Men

What role does Christianity play in the novel? Why does James structure the novel around the biblical story of the Immaculate Conception, and how does the narrative of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus inform and undercut the story of Julian and her baby?

Why does Theo work so hard to avoid love and responsibility?

Compare the novel’s leaders and would-be leaders: Xan, Rolf, and Theo. What does the novel say about the connection between leadership and power? In the novel’s world, is it possible to be a leader without becoming a dictator? Why or why not?

The novel is part of the dystopian fiction genre. How does James use the genre’s tropes? How does she subvert them?

Examine the policies instituted by Xan’s government. To what extent are they rational responses to the Omega crisis? To what extent do they follow the standard autocrat playbook?

Why does the novel use two narrative voices? How does the third person narrator differ from the first-person diary Theo keeps? How would the novel be different if James had chosen only one of these voices to narrate the whole book?

Given its depictions of the Omega generation and the Quietus ceremonies, what is the novel saying between relationships between generations? Is James offering commentary on modern generational divides? Why or why not?

Discuss Theo’s transition from a passive character to the potential ruler of England. Does the novel end on an optimistic or pessimistic note? Why?