Waterland

Tom refers to revolution throughout the novel, particularly the French Revolution. What are some parallels between that chapter in history and Tom’s current life? How is he like a rebel fighting for a cause?

Phlegm is a bodily humor “of which the Cricks have always had [a] good supply” (15) that holds contradictory properties that “may produce the following marks of temperament: patience; level-headedness” and “their counterparts: fatalism; indifference” (344). Choose two of the listed phlegmatic properties and discuss how each is exemplified by a character in the novel.

1.  Tom states that “love always finds a way” (228) when referring to his mother Helen and her relationship with Ernest, her father. Explain what Tom means in this context, as well as how this same quote applies to two other relationships in the novel.

Price plays disparate roles, acting first as Tom’s nemesis, then as his confidant, and finally as his unofficial protégé. Explain how each of these roles fulfills what Tom needs in the given moment.

Tom and Lewis have been colleagues many years. Fully describe their complex relationship and each one’s attitude toward education, specifically history.

Good intentions lead to unforeseen accidents that have unintended consequences in this far-reaching saga. Select two major instances in which this pattern occurs and detail every step from beginning to end.

Babies and children figure prominently in the novel. Show how they work together to symbolize one concept, then discuss the separate ideas each one may represent.

Madness and religion are significant factors in Mary’s life. What impact does religion have on her early life that affects her later life? Are Mary’s madness and religion related, or is her madness a separate issue entirely?