Imagining Argentina

Examine the role of music in the novel. How does music function as a tool of characterization? How does it interact with other art forms, like theater?

Compare and contrast Carlos with Guzman. In what ways are Carlos and Guzman different or similar? How does their meeting speak to the novel’s key themes and ideas?

Analyze the presence of history in the novel. How does an awareness of past tragedies affect characters’ opinions of the junta, or their optimism in defeating it? How does history connect to either Shared Tragedy as a Building Block of Community or Memory and Imagination as Resistance?

Analyze the unique narrative structure of the novel, noting that Martín is the novel’s narrator but not its protagonist. How extensive is Martín’s knowledge? Are there any events, feelings, or ideas that evade Martín’s understanding? How does this structure affect our understanding of Carlos’s gift and its relationship to truth?

Consider the prevalence of children in the novel, from their role at the Children’s Theater to the novel’s final image of a swing set. How do children figure in Carlos’s development of his gift? How does their close relationship to art help illustrate The Lasting Impact of Art and Writing?

Consider the role of women in the novel, such as Cecilia, Teresa, Esme, and/or the mothers on the Plaza de Mayo. How do women figure in the resistance? How are they impacted by misogyny and gender-based oppression—either at the hands of the regime or in their characterization?

Think critically about the term “Dirty War.” After reading the novel, how does that term prove accurate? How do Carlos and other characters prefer to characterize the conflict?

Expand upon the interplay between faith, truth, and proof in the novel. How is this relationship reflected in Carlos’s garden sessions, or in his theater career? How does the generals’ trial illuminate these concepts?