Caleb's Crossing

Reading this in the 21st century, we can see many things that Bethia herself does not realize—a form of a literary device called dramatic irony. What are some of the things that Bethia does not see that we can see? What is the effect on readers of knowing something she doesn’t know?

Compare gender, race, and class conflicts in this novel. Is it fair to compare Bethia and Caleb’s experiences, and to compare their experiences to class differences between rich and poor students or does this kind of comparison across groups devalue their individual experiences? Why or why not?

How does Geraldine Brooks’s career as a journalist influence her writing? What are the journalistic elements of her fiction?

Is Tequamuck as a villain or as an admirable figure? Is it wrong of him to cut ties with Caleb? Why or why not?

Compare the different marriage we see in the novel. What makes people get married, and what does the novel say about these different motivations? Which are the most successful and which less so?

Why is the novel titled “Caleb’s Crossing”? What is this crossing? Are there other characters who experience crossings?

The novel positions the real historical deaths of Caleb and Joel as symbols of failed attempt to reconcile Native American and European cultures. How well did each straddle these two cultures? Can a person in the novel’s world live in more than one culture? Why or why not?

Why does Bethia’s son reject the mainland and Europe?