Young Mungo

What is the symbolic meaning of Mungo’s name? What does this reveal about Mungo?

How does Stuart juxtapose Scottish city life with the countryside? How does the setting of Scotland influence the themes and plot of the novel?

Why are the men of the East End so violent and depressed? How do politics and society oppress individuals?

How does Stuart characterize Mungo’s relationship with his siblings? How do his siblings influence his character development?

Why is Mungo so irrevocably tied to his deeply flawed mother? What does his attachment say about him, and about the environment he has grown up in?

Discuss sexuality in the novel? How is desire expressed in the world of the East End, and what happens to the concept of pleasure there?

Does murdering Gallowgate and St. Christopher empower Mungo, or further oppress him? Explain your reasoning.

How does the introduction of James’s character change both the development of the plot and Mungo’s character development?