Gallant

In Chapter 4, a chapter with very little dialogue, Schwab makes extensive use of simile and metaphor in order to express Olivia’s interiority. Choose one simile/metaphor and discuss what the comparative language expresses and why it is effective in doing so.

What is the narrative function of the “half clock and half sculpture” (66) mechanism that Olivia finds? If it doesn’t serve a plot function, what does its inclusion accomplish?

Select one of Olivia’s father’s drawings, paying close attention to the imagery. How does the image speak to the novel’s thematic or aesthetic concerns?

Schwab frequently employs flashbacks throughout Olivia’s narrative. Choose one flashback. How does Schwab integrate this into the present moment? What is accomplished by the integration of this particular flashback at this moment in the narrative?

Why does Grace’s journal appear in its entirety at the moment it does in the narrative? How would the story be shifted if the journal was presented at a different juncture?

What purpose is served by the inclusion of the interludes featuring the master? How do these interludes work to create tension?

Gallant is, at its core, a Gothic horror novel. Identify one moment in the book that frightened or unsettled you. What techniques did Schwab use to create this sense of fear? Why did they affect you?

How, if at all, does Schwab subvert the tropes of Gothic literature? What does this subversion accomplish?