47 pages 1 hour read

Iain Banks

The Wasp Factory

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1984

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Essay Topics

1.

When Frank is three years old, the dog, Old Saul, attacks and mutilates him. How does this incident shape Frank’s narrative arc, and how does it affect the other people in his life?

2.

Frank places the responsibility for the dog attack on his mother, Agnes. Why does he blame her? Is this the most likely origin of his loathing for women? Discuss your reasons.

3.

Frank kills three people. What are his motivations for each murder? What are the similarities, from Frank’s perspective, and what are the differences? What do these similarities and differences suggest about children or childhood?