The Cloisters

Although Ann and Rachel Mondray come from very different upbringings, Rachel insists that they’re the same. How is this statement true, and in which ways is it false? Use examples from the text to compare and contrast the two women.

The novel explores multiple power dynamics between the four central characters, Ann, Rachel, Leo, and Patrick. How does the balance of power shift across the novel from beginning to end?

The novel details multiple divination methods. Choose one and write about where and when the practice originated, and if it’s still being used today. How does its real-life or historical use differ from how it is portrayed in the novel?

Ann undergoes an inverted hero’s journey. Choose a character from another novel or film who undergoes a similar journey and compare and contrast it with Ann’s.

When Ann’s friend Laure accuses Rachel of murder, Ann is quick to leap to her defense. Why does Ann want to believe Rachel is innocent?

Ann leaves her dying father behind in order to freely live her own life. What impact might this choice have had on her other choices throughout the novel?

Ann, Rachel, and Leo are in a complex triangle of blended loyalties. How does each character feel about the relationship between the other two? Through these characters, how does the novel explore The Conflict Between Ambition and Loyalty? Cite examples from the text.

Ann claims that living in New York changed her. Does the city shape who she becomes, or does it set loose parts of her that are already present? Does Ann truly change over the course of the novel, or does she reveal her true inner nature? How does the city function as a character in the novel?