Horse

What does Brooks communicate through the reunion scene between Jarret and the painting of himself and Lexington? How does taking possession of the painting relate to Jarret and Lexington’s relationship overall?

Scott is the only character in Horse whose chapters are written from the first-person perspective, in the form of diary entries. Why do you think Brooks chose to construct only his components of the narrative in this way, and how does this approach shape the reader’s understanding of the story?

What roles do science, medicine, and technology play in Horse? How do methods of measurement and analysis serve to quantify details of the story known to the reader but lost to history until Jess’s osteopathic research begins?

Consider the relationships between people and horses in Horse. How are relationships with horses tied to the identities of the characters in the novel?

What impressions do you think Jarret might have of the ways that Lexington’s legacy has endured through the 21st century?

How are Jarret and Theo’s experiences as horsemen similar? How do they differ?

Neither Jess nor Theo grew up in the United States. How do you think their individual upbringings shaped their opinions on race and racism? How do those opinions relate to their experiences in America?

Examine Theo’s relationship with his neighbors. What parts of the interaction suggested to Theo that they might be prejudiced against him? What does the widow’s gesture of remembrance suggest about how she really perceived him? Do you think the story would have changed if she had treated him with kindness? Why or why not?