My Heart Is a Chainsaw

Discuss the setting of the story in the town of Proofrock, Idaho. What are some of the significant locations in Proofrock? Why do you think Jones set this novel in a town like Proofrock?

How do the “Slasher 101” interludes impact your understanding of the story and of Jade Daniels as a character? Why do you think Jones chose to write these sections as Jade’s history papers?

Choose two of the female characters in the novel and compare how they express their femininity. What does this comparison convey about the ways that women are expected to behave?

My Heart Is a Chainsaw includes numerous references to slasher films such as Halloween, Friday the 13^th, and Nightmare on Elm Street. Choose one of the slasher films that Jade references in the text and compare its plot to the plot of the novel. Does the novel use similar tropes or plot devices to the film? Do the films have similar messages, and if so, in what ways?

Rather than one antagonist, this novel has several. Compare and contrast Theo Mondragon and Stacey Graves. What drives them to commit murders? Why do you think Jones includes both in this novel?

Jade has a white mother and a Blackfoot father. How does her heritage impact her sense of identity? How does she feel about her Indigenous American background?

Religion and Christianity are referenced throughout the novel, particularly regarding the character of Ezekiel. How does Christianity function as a force within the novel? What impact has Ezekiel had on Proofrock’s history?

Many characters in My Heart Is a Chainsaw go by nicknames such as Shooting Glasses and Bear. Discuss the importance of names in this story. How do names, like masks, function to convey or obscure identity?