Humanities Homework Help

Questions for The Cuckoo’s Calling

• The book’s prologue opens with a quote that translated from Latin reads, “Unhappy is he whose fame makes his misfortunes famous.” How does The Cuckoo’s Calling express this?
• Our culture seems obsessed with celebrity, violence, and fame – why do you think that is? What do you think Galbraith (Rowling) was trying to say about these concepts? What do you think the author thinks of our culture’s contemporary obsession with celebrities and fame?
• How does the author incorporate social criticism into the narrative and the characters?
• Much of the book is devoted to interviews and conversation; as a result, some readers have critiqued lack of action. How did you respond to the dialogue-intensive construction of the book?
• Mystery novels are a hugely popular genre — Why do murder mysteries have such a high potential for entertainment value?
  • The author possibly winks at us on this topic: Strike says. “Some might have questioned the taste of finding amusement in the midst of a murder inquiry, but he had found humor in darker places” (362).
• How does the book tackle race? What does it have to say about race? What do you make of Rowling’s constant racial references in the novel?
  • For example, you could focus on Lula Landry’s mixed race heritage and her exotic and othered role as a supermodel or you could focus on Rochelle, etc…
• Why does Strike have to be an amputee? How would the story have been different if he didn’t have a physical problem? Does this physical ailment give Strike strength or piteousness?
• In this book, the author is writing about love and grief and how to deal with it. Each of the characters is wallowing in grief of one kind or another, and some in more obvious ways than others. How did this grief influence the actions between characters?
• Using a hard-bitten investigator assisted by a young, ambitious “Girl Friday” is a classic detective story trope. What do you think of Robin Ellacott? What role does she play in the story? Is she an integral part? Could Strike have done it on his own without Robin? If so, what does that say about her character and/or the “Girl Friday” trope?
• How does the author portray the culture — and the characters — of the worlds of fashion and the very rich?