46 pages • 1 hour read
Jewelle GomezThe Gilda Stories
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1991A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
What role does sexuality play in the novel? How would the novel be different if Gilda did not harbor romantic love for women?
Explore the connections between the younger Gilda and the elder Gilda. Why is it important that the younger one takes the elder one’s name, and why does the book give her no name before? How are their journeys similar, and where do they differ?
Fox, Eleanor, and Samuel are the only examples of “bad” vampires in the novel. Compare these characters to one another and to the “good” vampires. What do these characters show about the novel’s sense of morality in the vampire world?
Why does the novel end with a journey to Machu Picchu despite being otherwise set within the United States? What does Machu Picchu represent in light of the novel’s themes?
Though vampire novels are often historical, this one also imagines a dystopian future. How does extending into the future affect the stereotypes of the vampire story?
Examine the novel’s structure. It is a series of short stories but contains a linear narrative as well. Why has the author made this choice?
Gilda’s perception of time changes as the novel proceeds. Identify the points where this happens. How does she evolve as a character with her understanding of time?
Why does the author so rarely use the word “vampire”? Find examples of the words and phrases she uses instead. What meaning do they hold?
Why has the author selected these particular places and times in which to set the novel? What is the novel’s narrative about American history?
Select a few of Gilda’s childhood memories and explicate their text. What does each memory tell us about who Gilda is? Why are these memories important to the book?
