The Passenger

Perform a rhetorical analysis on The Thalidomide Kid. What are his favorite devices? How convincing are his arguments? Are there ways that he undermines his own credibility?

What effect does the Prologue have on the novel’s tone? How does it achieve this result?

The mystery of the underwater plane wreck is never resolved in the novel. What effect does this have on readers as they read and once they’ve finished?

Evaluate the novel’s position on quantum mechanics, citing textual evidence.

What kind of character is John Sheddan? Examine his traits. How does his history of being a criminal and a drug dealer affect how he is presented in the novel?

Evaluate Bobby Western’s relationship with Debussy Fields. What does Bobby receive from Debussy, and what does Debussy receive from Bobby?

Why would McCarthy choose to end Alicia Western’s narratives with her conversation with Miss Vivian rather than a conversation with The Kid? How do Alicia’s conversations with the two hallucinations differ?

What significance, if any, does Bobby’s history of being a race car driver have on the plot overall? How did Bobby’s time racing cars affect his life after?