The Iron Heel

How do the trio of narrative voices (Avis, Ernest, and Anthony Meredith) differ from one another in terms of their authority, their perspectives, and their roles as author surrogates? When do their voices support a shared theme, and when do they function at cross-purposes?

The novel depicts various forms of violence from the Oligarchy, the revolutionists, the masses, and other organizations and sects. What fuels these groups to engage in violence, and how do their acts of violence relate to power and ethics?

What roles do the concepts of freedom, patriotism, and American national identity play in the novel’s critique of capitalism? How is the United States represented in the novel in comparison to other countries? How is the vision of the US that the revolutionists hold different from that of the Oligarchy?

What is the significance of Avis’s nickname of “immortal materialist” for Ernest and his nickname of “sweet metaphysician” for her (184)? How does the novel represent the duality of the body and the spirit and of science and religion?

Does the novel perpetuate traditional gender roles, or does it challenge and subvert them? How does class intersect with gender in London’s depiction of the men and women of different classes?

What role does love play in the political activism of Avis and Ernest? How is love defined and expressed? How do the concepts of passion, commitment, and trust contribute to the story’s political themes?

The novel’s dystopian elements are tied directly to capitalist systems of exploitation. How does a regime like the Oligarchy rise to power, and how do revolutions form?

London does not elaborate on how the revolutionists were able to overthrow the Oligarchy and form the Brotherhood of Man 300 years later. What clues do Meredith’s footnotes provide that build a picture of how the utopia was founded? How were the revolutionists able to succeed?