46 pages 1 hour read

Patricia Highsmith

The Price of Salt

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1952

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Essay Topics

1.

Highsmith names her novel The Price of Salt, as salt as an obsolete term for lust. Why does Highsmith use a synonym for lust? What is the role of lust in the novel, and how does it differ from and relate to love?

2.

How does Highsmith use anti-lesbian prejudice to produce mystery in the novel? How do the era’s misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ+ laws frame concepts of crime in this love story?

3.

The Price of Salt contains multiple genres, like romance and thriller. It is also a road novel. How does it compare to other novels in this genre?