The Executioner's Song

Discuss the portrayal of Gary Gilmore as both an individual agent and a social product. How does the text examine the problem of nature versus nurture in Gary’s life and criminal career?

Consider The Executioner’s Song in light of contemporary debates around the death penalty. What in the text remains relevant to ongoing discourses on the issue? What, if anything, has changed?

Discuss the significance of the setting in the American West. How does Mailer connect the geography of Utah to the novel’s themes?

Examine Mailer within the context of New Journalism. How does Mailer utilize, or diverge from, some of the common tropes and techniques associated with the movement?

Discuss the novel’s treatment of the legal system and the prison system. How does the novel examine ideas of justice and state power?

Evaluate the tension between local and national perspectives in the narrative. How does Mailer contrast Utah’s community norms with reactions from the broader United States?

Discuss the role of religion—or the lack of it—in influencing characters’ conceptions of moral frameworks. How does the presence of Mormon culture influence attitudes toward guilt, repentance, and/or punishment?

Consider the psychological portrait of Gary Gilmore. How does Mailer characterize Gary? How does he seek to depict both his better qualities and the dark sides of his character?