Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Do you think this book treats its characters fairly, or are there any characters in particular who don't get what they deserve? Why?
- Why does Lizzie Hexam fall in love with Eugene Wrayburn? Does he deserve her love? Why or why not?
- Why does John Harmon pretend to be dead? Why does he decide to reveal himself?
- Why is Lizzie Hexam so devoted to her father? Does the novel offer any good evidence for why this is the case?
- What is Dickens' overall tone when he describes the Veneerings' dinner parties? Why does he keep coming back to these parties?
- Who, if anyone, is the moral center of this book? Why?
- How does Bella show us (and John Harmon) that she's a good person? How does this compare with our first impression of her?
- What is this book supposed to teach us, anyway? What lesson would Dickens want us to learn by the end? How do we know?