The Story of the Lost Child

Does Ferrante portray Nino or the Solara brothers as more sympathetic? Give reasons for your answer, referring closely to the text.

To what extent does the relationship of Tina and Imma resemble that of Lila and Elena? Why do you think Ferrante presents mutual influence and a struggle for power as a perennial quality of female friendships?

How does the novel present the theme of female intelligence? To what extent does this type of intelligence threaten existing patriarchal structures?

How does the motif of Northern versus Southern Italy play out in the novel? To what extent does Ferrante reveal these different parts of the country as polar opposites? 

Is Tina the only lost child in the novel? Who else might be lost and why?

What does Lila mean when she refers to “dissolving boundaries”? How is Elena also affected by a fear of dissolution?

Do a close reading of Elena’s relationship with her mother. How does their dynamic change over the course of the final novel and influence Elena’s character development?

How do Lila and Elena’s personal problems interact with the greater struggles in the neighborhood and Italy as a whole? How do political struggles shed light on Lila and Elena’s emotional turmoil?