Vineland

Explore how various characters wrestle with the question of identity in Vineland. How do characters like Prairie, Zoyd, Frenesi, DL, and others conceive of their sense of self through their political, social, and/or familial connections?

How are hippies depicted in Vineland? In what ways does Vineland reflect hippie stereotypes, and in what ways does the novel challenge or subvert them?

Analyze the Thanatoids. How are they characterized? What is their wider significance in the text?

The rise and fall of the People’s Republic of Rock and Roll is a significant part of the narrative. How does it serve as a microcosm of the broader counterculture movement and some of the failures of the 1960s era?

Examine the idea of loyalty and betrayal in the novel. How do different characters conceive of the value of loyalty? How does the novel explore the nature of loyalty and trust more generally?

The novel contains two plot lines in two different eras: The 1960s, and the 1980s. What is the relationship between past and present in the novel? How do past events inform the present lives of the characters, and how does the characters’ understanding of the past evolve?

The novel explores and critiques ideas of government control and legitimacy. How does Vineland depict the nature of power?

Many of the characters in Vineland struggle with a sense of alienation. What forms of alienation exist in the text? How are the characters different or similar to one another in their quests for meaning and belonging?