There Are No Saints

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of emotional abuse.

How does the alternating first-person narrative create dramatic irony that extends beyond simple suspense? For instance, how does it shape readers’ understanding of their “complicity” in Cole’s actions?

While surveillance clearly functions as a control mechanism, how does the act of watching serve as a form of artistic creation throughout the novel? Examine how different characters use observation to construct and perform identity.

Shaw and Cole represent contrasting approaches to violence. What do their different methods reveal about their competing philosophies of art’s relationship to destruction?