43 pages • 1 hour read
Mike CuratoFlamer
Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | YA | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Outside a handful of scenes that use red and orange, Flamer is predominantly a black and white graphic novel. Why does Mike Curato choose to use color sparingly? Using three examples, explore the text’s use of color.
How does clothing in Flamer function to reveal Aiden’s state of mind?
What impact does the church have on Aiden’s sense of identity and self-worth? Why does Aiden retain his position as an altar server, and what purpose does the church serve for Aiden? Use examples from the text to support your answer.
Using three examples, explore how the novel uses magical and surreal imagery to convey its message and describe Aiden’s experiences.
The novel depicts many acts of bullying and does not hold back or sugarcoat them. Why does Curato represent bullying this way? How does it relate to other themes in the novel?
What do flames represent in the novel? How are they depicted, and how does their meaning change? Use specific examples to support your argument.
What is the significance of choosing a title that is also a slur? How does it reflect some of the book’s themes?
Pick three of Aiden’s friends and explore the positive or negative role they play in his battle for Self-Acceptance.
What is the meaning of the phoenix imagery the end of the novel after Aiden merges with his soul?
What role does pop culture play in the novel?
