Gilead

John sees baptism as a form of blessing, while to his grandfather, “being blessed meant being bloodied” (36). All three of the Ames men are ministers, but they have three very differing views of faith. Compare and contrast their beliefs.

Gilead has a male narrator and the story centers on male relationships and bonds. How do female characters impact John’s life and the narrative? Are they as strongly developed as the male characters? Why or why not?

The town of Gilead undergoes many transformations across time, and its people do too. How does John change as the narrative progresses? What are the transformative moments in his life? How do these moments affect him personally? How do they affect his religious beliefs?

John shares lines from a poem he once wrote: “Open the scroll of conch and find the text / That lies behind the priestly susurrus” (45). Explain the lines in the context of John’s faith. What do they reveal about his approach to religion?

Jack calls John’s marriage to Lila “unconventional” (230). Is it? How does John’s congregation react to Lila? Why did Lila want to marry John? Does she love him? How do you know?

The novel follows the Ames family through the pre-Civil War abolitionist movement up to the eve of the Civil Rights movement. During John’s lifetime, the only African American church in Gilead is burned, and all the African American families leave. At the end of the novel, there are still no African American families in town. Describe John’s attitude toward race. Does it change over the course of the novel? What does Robinson want the reader to think about race?

Describe John’s relationship with his brother Edward. How does it differ from when John is a boy and when he is an adult? Why isn’t John persuaded by Edward’s atheistic views? How does John keep his faith? Why does Edward lose his?

The novel draws connections between nature and spirituality, and John is profoundly appreciative of the natural world. What do natural elements—especially light, fire, water, and earth—mean to John? How do they function as spiritual symbols throughout the novel?

John’s grandfather literally has visions of the Lord. John’s father has no visions except “the ones in the Bible” (48). John describes dreams and images that affect him powerfully. He comments, “Sometimes the visionary aspect of any particular day comes to you in the memory of it, or it opens to you over time” (91). What kind of visions does John have, and how do they inform his faith?