Heart-Shaped Box

Jude is critical of his assistant, Danny, going so far as to call him a “sycophantic little suck-ass” (8). Why does Jude keep him as an assistant? What does this decision say about Jude’s character early in the novel?

Why does Craddock first appear to Jude in the form of a suit? What is the symbolism of this suit?

After Jude tries to force Marybeth out of his life through cruelty, he feels a “sensation of relief” when she fights to stay with him (103). Why do both characters act the way they do in this moment? What does their fight over the nature of their relationship suggest about the novel’s themes and concepts of ownership?

In telling Craddock’s backstory, Hill emphasizes his work in divination—specifically, dowsing, the ability to locate hidden resources. Why is this significant for his characterization?

What makes dogs significant in the novel? What connotations do they have in literature, and how does Hill adhere to or subvert these connotations?

Why does Jude choose to attack George Ruger in Chapter 34? This decision is irrelevant to Craddock’s haunting, so why does Hill include it?

Toward the end of the novel, Jude notes that “horror is rooted in sympathy” (307). What is the relationship between horror and sympathy in Heart-Shaped Box?

Why does the novel end with Reese visiting Jude? Does the visit play into the novel’s exploration of past and present? How so?