Reservation Blues

How does the novel present the issue of gender and relations between men and women?

Big Mom and Father Arnold are both seen as leaders and religious figures. In what ways do they represent different kinds of spirituality? In what ways are they alike?

Examine the novel’s presentation of traditional Indian customs? What are the characters’ attitudes toward these beliefs?

To what degree do the characters seemed trapped in their fates? What are the forces limiting them? What are the possibilities for liberation?

Many of the novel’s characters are grouped in pairs. What are some of these pairs? Are there other kinds of dualities in the book?

How do different characters approach their heritage and ethnicity? What does it “mean” to be an Indian?

What is the symbolic significance of the guitar?

What is the significance of family in the novel? To what degree are the characters affected by their relationships with their families?