62 pages 2 hours read

Joyce Carol Oates

We Were the Mulvaneys

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996

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Essay Topics

1.

“For a long time you admired us, then you thought Good!—that’s what they deserve.” How does this quote from the opening page of the novel foreshadow the events concerning the Mulvaney family? Analyze three pertinent examples.

2.

The main events of the novel take place in the 1970s. To what extent does the time setting influence the plot? Research and analyze.

3.

Judd is the narrator of the novel and one of its characters. How do his two “roles” differ? Supply examples.