Tell Me Everything

Setting is an important component of the novel. Analyze Elizabeth Strout’s use of setting, including consideration of important natural imagery. What is the narrative function of the prominent setting?

Strout considers storytelling from a variety of angles in the novel. The novel not only explores the importance of perspectives but also considers where a story begins and ends. Analyze Tell Me Everything’s focus on story beginnings and endings. How does it connect to the novel’s broader themes?

Consider the narrator’s role in Tell Me Everything. What insight can the reader draw about the third-person omniscient narrator’s character from their commentary and interjections? How does the narrator’s character affect the story being told?

How does Tell Me Everything explore class through the residents and visitors of Crosby, Maine? Use evidence from the text to support your analysis.

Tell Me Everything includes a murder mystery. How does the narrative use and subvert the conventions of the mystery genre? How does the murder plot deepen the novel’s meaning and exploration of its key themes, particularly The Impact of the Past on the Present?

Helen’s death leaves both Jim and Bob grief-stricken. How does this grief manifest differently in the various characters of the novel? What commentary on grief does the novel provide through the characters’ feelings and actions?

Explore the role of memory and trauma in Tell Me Everything. How do different characters’ recollections and past experiences shape their identities and influence their actions? What does the novel suggest about the reliability of memory in constructing personal and shared narratives?

Tell Me Everything is set in the years directly following the COVID-19 pandemic. How has the pandemic affected the characters’ lives, and how does it continue to resonate in the novel’s present? Analyze how it relates to The Ebb and the Flow of True Connection.