Between The Acts

Compare and contrast the Oliver men’s relationship with masculinity and how their views of masculinity change from generation to generation.

Compare and contrast the characters of Isa and Mrs. Manresa, paying particular attention to how they deal with Gender Roles and Expectations.

How does Woolf address and tackle the topic of colonialism and British imperialism? Be sure to include references to Bartholomew Oliver’s experience as a British officer in India and the Victorian play in the pageant.

How does the novel highlight the anxieties of the English people when they were on the brink of World War II?

How do the events that occur between the acts expose the characters’ true feelings and actions? How does the pageant highlight the absurdity in society’s outward performances?

How does the novel foreshadow the drastic changes that the war will bring to England, as well as the changes that will come after the war? How does the discussion of the cesspool at the beginning of the novel reflect the village’s progress in history and the coming changes of the war?

Pick any two characters in the novel and discuss how their characterization explores the strict sexual mores of pre-WWII England.

Analyze Giles and Isa’s relationship and Isa’s contemplations in terms of the coming war. How are they similar? How are they different? Explain.