Incarceron

Examine the ways in which the author alters the characterization of the Warden over time. In what way is he an agent of the system, and how does he work to subvert it?

Analyze at least three passages that create a sympathetic view of Incarceron as a character. When does the author introduce this shift, and how is it designed to alter readers’ perception of the text?

Identify and examine the motives of at least two morally ambiguous inmates of Incarceron. Why do they make certain choices, and to what extent are their actions dictated by the stresses of their surroundings?

Analyze the recurring symbols of confinement that appear throughout the narrative. What aspects of “Outside” are described as the most restrictive, and which “free” characters suffer the most from intangible forms of confinement?

Compare and contrast Finn and Claudia’s intertwined journeys toward the truth of their respective worlds. What moment(s) result in their disillusionment, and how are they changed by the destruction of their previous worldviews?

Read another dystopian novel such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World or Lois Lowry’s The Giver. Compare and contrast the society of this novel with the one portrayed in Incarceron. How do the two authors explore the ways in which a dominant society perpetuates convenient lies to create a broader “mythology” for the sake of control?

How does the character of Incarceron highlight the nascent issue of ethics surrounding AI technology? Likewise, how do the fictional machines in the novel (such as skinwands, listening devices, and Incarceron itself) serve as analogues to the developing technologies and ethical dilemmas of the real world?

Analyze Queen Sia and her son, Caspar. In what ways are they prisoners of society, and in what ways do they perpetuate its literal and spiritual imprisonment of others?