The Wives

Seth is a very complex character who ends up paralyzed after being shot by Thursday. Do you believe Seth deserves the reader’s sympathy? How did your perception of him as a character shift throughout the novel?

How does the internet function in this novel? Do you believe it does more harm than good? What might have happened if Thursday had not been able to use social media to find out information about Regina and Hannah?

Irony and foreshadowing play a major role within this novel. In what ways does the author prepare the reader for the reveal of Thursday’s mental state throughout the novel? Do you believe this was effective? Why or why not?

The concept of the “good wife” and a woman’s role within a marriage is a recurrent motif within the novel. Do you believe this novel encourages or discourages traditional gender roles for women in society? Provide textual evidence to support your claim.

Pregnancy and the ability to become pregnant are at the forefront of Thursday’s mind during the novel. What role does pregnancy play in the novel? How does it alter the reader’s understanding of both the plot and its characters?

Thursday strives to be the perfect wife and have a perfect life. Do you believe it is possible to live a perfect life? What makes it possible or impossible?

Appearances are very important to Thursday and most of the characters in the novel. How do you believe the novel would have changed if Thursday hadn’t worried about other people’s opinion of her? Do you believe she would have told her friends and family the truth about her relationship? How would that have affected the story?

Is The Wives a feminist novel? Why or why not? Use textual evidence and reference outside sources in your response.