How to Kill Your Family

In addition to society’s misogyny, Grace points out its racism and classism. How does the novel draw connections between these intersecting forms of oppression? How does Grace see herself occupying both privileged and marginalized positions?

In what ways are Harry and Grace foils for one another? In dealing with Kelly, do they make similar mistakes? What does Kelly’s apparent victory suggest about the relationship between Pride and Miscalculation?

What does Kelly and Grace’s criminal status suggest about the possibilities for women who wish for power? Does the book demonstrate some way that women can be powerful without also being corrupt?

How are women represented in the text? Are there any female characters who exemplify a different response to patriarchy than the violent one Grace chooses? Are any of these alternative responses more effective, and in what ways?

The novel’s epigraph comes from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In it, Lady Macbeth prays to evil spirits, saying, “Unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.” Lady Macbeth is ultimately unable to escape remorse for her unscrupulous actions. How similar are she and Grace? Does Grace succeed where Lady Macbeth does not? Why or why not?

Jimmy sometimes calls Grace “Gray.” In what ways is Grace similar to the color, which is a mix of opposites? Harry notes that his own eyes are gray. What does the color gray symbolize in each of these characters?

How does Mackie portray the wealthy, including the Artemises and the Latimers? How does she convey their character, and what themes might they illuminate? How does their wealth drive them to make certain choices, and how does it insulate them from consequences?

What is the role of humor in the text? How do characters use humor to advance their own narrative agendas? Does Grace’s sharp sense of humor contribute to her tendency to underestimate opponents?