Bastard Out Of Carolina

Discuss Raylene’s character. Does she read as “queer”? How might her gender identity serve as an example for Bone, and what kind of argument about identity is the author making through this depiction?

This novel has been criticized both for its frank depiction of Bone’s sexual development and for its often-graphic moments of physical and sexual abuse. How does the inclusion of this difficult-to-read detail impact the narrative development and shape the experience of the reader?

Discuss the theme of The Intersections of Class and Gender. How might this novel be in dialogue with Dorothy Allison’s other works? How does her depiction of poverty from a gendered perspective add to various bodies of literature interested in class and class-based discrimination?

Bastard out of Carolina is a key text within the history of southern literature. How is it in dialogue with other notable narratives produced by southern authors? Does it share key themes, symbols, motifs, or settings with other canonical works of southern literature?

What kinds of motifs speak to the theme of Abuse and Coming of Age? How does Allison describe the impact of abuse on childhood and adolescent development, and how does she trace that theme throughout the narrative?

How do you interpret Anney’s characterization? How do her experiences contribute to her inability to put a stop to Glen’s abuse? Can you, like Raylene, forgive her enabling? Why or why not?

Discuss Bone’s characterization. When and where do you see evidence of the impact of Glen’s abuse developing? How might she still be described as a resilient character?

Discuss the role of family within the text. How do the familial bonds depicted impact Bone and how does this kind of family bond speak to broader issues about class and class-based discrimination in the novel?