The Luminaries

Select one of the main characters of the novel (except Crosbie). Research the zodiac signs or celestial bodies that they are represented by in the astral charts and use textual evidence to show how they represent these symbols.

Do you think the characters in The Luminaries have free will or are their fates predetermined? Explain why.

What is the significance of the structure of The Luminaries? How does this structure relate to the themes or motifs of the text?

Discuss the use of multiple languages in The Luminaries. Why might Catton have chosen to represent these languages in this way? How do language barriers impact the characters?

Each of the main characters has a fatal flaw, or some characteristic within their natures that causes complications and troubles in their lives. Select three of the characters, identify their fatal flaws, and describe how these flaws impact their decisions and fates.

Walter Moody’s father arrives in Hokitika the same day that Moody leaves town. What does this imply about fate and how it plays out in The Luminaries? Why might Catton have chosen to end Moody’s narrative in this way?

Catton deploys a great deal of nominal determinism in the names of the characters. In other words, characters’ personalities or occupations are reflected in their names. Using evidence from the text, describe how at least four characters’ names are examples of nominal determinism. How does this overlap with the novel’s interest in astrology?

Research the First Opium War. How do the events as described in The Luminaries relate to the historical facts of this war? Where do they differ?