47 pages • 1 hour read
Cristina HenríquezThe Great Divide
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A 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
Discuss this novel’s politics of gender. What do the female characters have in common and how do their various beliefs, values, and experiences speak to an interest in female empowerment and gender equality?
How does this novel represent the “hidden history” of US involvement in the Panama Canal project? What does it mean for this history to be spoken about by a Panamanian character?
How is clothing used as a motif within the novel?
What is the significance of the Spanish-speaking journalist in relation to the novel’s themes?
What is the role of community in the narrative? Which characters can be said to value community, and how do they harness its power in service of Panama and its people?
What is the role of medicine and the medical establishment in the novel?
How does Cristina Henríquez portray motherhood? How might this relate to the gender politics of the novel more broadly?
What does the town name of Gatún represent?
Discuss Omar and Francisco’s relationship. How do sociopolitical factors impact the bond that the two share?
How does this novel represent other moments in history in which US foreign policy in Latin America worked in order to bolster US power and interests in the region rather than to support local people?
