Pretty Girls

Why do you think Slaughter ordered the chapters as she did in the narrative, with Sam’s letters interspersed and numbered separately from the other chapters? What narrative effect does this have on the progression of the plot? How does it intensify the unfolding details?

Several of the Carrolls were jailed or have struggled with law enforcement at some point. How do you think certain factors like race, class, and gender may have played in their favor (or against it) during these incidents? Could they have fared worse or better under different circumstances? How did their attitudes toward law enforcement contribute, if at all, to the attention and response they received?

Outline the differences between Paul’s violent actions and his emotional manipulations toward others. Keep in mind that the FBI labeled Paul a nonviolent borderline psychopath. Do you agree with the FBI’s assessment? At what point did Paul become abusive, or has he always approached situations with an abusive attitude? At what point would he be considered violent? What does this say about how society frames violent crime within domesticity?

Claire admits she needed Paul more than she loved him. How is the institution of marriage explored within the novel’s interpretations of family? Who exemplifies a marital ideal? Does marriage equal family? What bonds and promises comprise a marriage contract besides the concept of love?

Pick a couple descriptive “images” of some main characters and analyze the narrative description from the observer’s perspective. Is a harsh description of Claire doomed to be critical because it is written from the perspective of helpless Helen? Does a pitiful description of Lydia’s addiction paint an “image” of her true self, or is that image tainted by Claire’s intrusive memories of Lydia’s vagrancy? Can these “images” of character be synthesized to make an accurate impression of one’s character? Why or why not?

Throughout several generations, Carroll women have continued to impart the importance of gendered norms, like standing up straight and sucking in your stomach. Is the way Lydia raises Dee at all similar to how Ginny raised Helen? What are some of the norms Lydia has discarded in favor of her own style of motherhood? Does subtle sexism come from a place of understanding or punishment or both? How are the Carroll women still unknowingly participating in and contributing to sexist habits?

How is technology used and portrayed as a tool of good or evil? From the extremities of Claire’s supersmart Tesla to the old VHS snuff tapes, how can technical knowledge be employed for crime, and what does that mean about the standards of law enforcement? Do technologically proficient characters navigate their trauma and problems easier?

Why is infidelity brushed off so easily throughout the novel? Helen cheats on her new husband with Sam, Ginny has a “wandering eye,” and Claire cheats on Paul numerous times with multiple men. Does the narrative condemn or pardon these actions? Are they even relevant to the characters’ spinning moral compasses as they work to fix themselves?