The Great Turkey Walk

How do Simon’s and Samson’s approaches to money differ? What message is the book sending about the role of money in people’s lives?

Samson and Cleaver are bad people, but they are also comic figures. How do the characterizations of Samson and Cleaver function as an element of the novel’s satire of the society Simon lives in?

Lizzie Hardwick is introduced as a victim of trauma but quickly becomes an integral and competent member of the group. Examine how her character arc subverts traditional gender roles believed in during her time. Consider, for instance, how her practical knowledge and emotional maturity contribute to the novel’s redefinition of strength and partnership.

The journey through Kansas Territory features significant encounters with both John Winter Prairie’s Pottawatomie party and US Cavalry soldiers. Compare and contrast these episodes to analyze how the novel critiques different models of law, justice, and “civilization” on the American frontier.

How does the narrative gap between Simon’s earnest first-person narration and the novel’s serious subject matter create irony and deepen the thematic impact of events like slavery, abandonment, and violence?

Picaresque heroes are usually charming and clever, but they go their own way and are not very concerned with social norms and rules. What elements of Simon’s character make him a typical picaresque hero? Would you argue that there are elements of his character that are not typically picaresque?

In what ways does The Great Turkey Walk affirm traditional conventions of the American Western genre, and in what ways does it subvert them? Consider the nature of the protagonist, the focus on community over rugged individualism, the emphasis on landscape, and the portrayal of conflict.

The narrative is told exclusively from Simon’s perspective. How does this first-person point of view shape the portrayal of Jabeth Ballou’s journey from enslavement to freedom? Discuss the complexities and potential limitations of viewing Jabeth’s story primarily through Simon’s privileged lens.