Stone Blind

Which female characters qualify as mothers? Choose one mother and describe her relationship with her offspring. Does a lack of maternal influence affect any of the characters, and if so, how?

What do snakes symbolize in the novel? How do they reinforce the theme of Appearance and Monstrosity?

Compare and contrast Medusa’s and Athene’s Coping With Trauma. How are their respective traumas resolved, if at all?

Compare and contrast Perseus’ and Athene’s understanding of Consent, Justice, and Violence. Does their father, Zeus, shape their understanding at all?

Describe the relationship between Medusa and the Medusa-Narrator. Why do you think the author included the Medusa-Narrator’s perspective—especially the “Stone” chapters?

Choose one Medusa-centered scene. How do sensory details enhance it? What role does aesthetic sense or beauty play in the novel as a whole?

What role does prophecy play in the novel? Why is it so tied to masculinity?

Choose one mythological figure from the novel. In what ways does the author change their popular depiction, and what are the effects of this change?