Big Swiss

Early in the novel, Greta shows signs of her future manipulation of Big Swiss. How does Beagin foreshadow the specifics of their relationship and its end?

What role does Greta’s job as a transcriptionist play in both the novel’s structure and its narrative? How do structure and narrative interact in this instance?

What questions about medical ethics does the novel raise? What does Beagin suggest about the ethics of Greta’s job in such a small community?

Examine the relationship between authenticity and deceit in Big Swiss and Greta’s relationship. Is the authenticity of their connection hampered by their deceptions? Or is the authenticity of their connection aided by their deceptions?

Compare and contrast Keith and Greta as antagonists in Big Swiss’s life. What traits do they share as antagonists, and where do they differ?

Big Swiss and Greta live vastly different lifestyles. How do their different lifestyles and socioeconomic positions influence their relationship? Analyze Big Swiss and Greta’s perceptions of the other as they pertain to social status and economics.

How does Big Swiss’s insistence on not thinking of herself as a victim affect her? Does her method of handling her trauma produce more positive results for her than Greta’s?

What does Big Swiss’s desire to continue their affair after learning the truth about Greta suggest about Big Swiss’s views on Greta? What value does deception and truth have, according to Big Swiss’s decision?