A Certain Hunger

Dorothy claims that women are just as likely to be dangerous as men but that they are better at faking their normalcy than men. Is there anything persuasive in her argument? Discuss your reasons based on insight from inside and outside the text.

Dorothy delights in describing her kills in lurid details. Why is sharing gore with an audience so important to Dorothy, and does it, in any sense, mean that the audience endorses or even enjoys her crimes vicariously? Describe the difference between consuming/witnessing and condoning in the text.

Dorothy and Emma have a peculiar relationship. They may each be incapable of real friendships, but Dorothy describes them as friends. What draws them to each other? Is there more difference or similarity between the two, and in what ways do these qualities draw them to each other?

Research and discuss the relationship between Freud’s concept of the id in the novel as it relates to Dorothy’s appetites. Is there any presence of ego or superego in Dorothy’s behaviors? Give examples to support your claims.

Does Dorothy consider the training of femininity of her childhood friends to have been a success? How might her exposure to a limited view of femininity help to explain her relationships to women like Emma and Detective Wasserman?

What is the significance of Emma’s art projects? How does her artwork overlap with Dorothy’s writing or core beliefs about womanhood and traditional societal roles?

Why is it important to Dorothy to butcher Marco according to Kosher rites? Is there any element, to Dorothy, of delivering poetic justice to Marco? Compare and contrast the murder of Marco with another climactic murder scene in literature; was the level of careful planning similar? Was it more effective in seeking revenge or evading capture?

Dorothy describes her rape in Italy as “fascinating.” Why do you think she reacts this way? Why does the assault apparently have so little effect on her, and why, as an aggressive, independent person, isn’t she angry about the violation? Could it be argued that she is actually more affected than she lets on? Why or why not?