Thread (Hislop) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. What enables Eugenia and Katerina to survive in Thessaloniki after the burning of Smyrna?

2. How is the Greece Communist party portrayed in The Thread? To what extent does this differ from any prior knowledge about the party that you may have had?

3. In what ways is threading prominent throughout the novel? How does threading become important during the political crisis?

4. How are class and cultural distinctions portrayed? How do the people of Greece regard these differences and how do their attitudes change?

5. How is family represented in The Thread? How does the political situation challenge and shape these family structures?

6. How do Katerina and Dimitri's lives intertwine throughout the novel and how do their initial encounters shape their relationship?

7. Why is Olga Kominos unable to leave her home and how does her agoraphobia develop?

8. How does the country of Greece change both politically and economically throughout The Thread? To what extent does this differ from any prior knowledge about Greece's history that you may have had?

9. Compare the different marriages depicted. What were the various incentives for marriage? How were women treated during marriage? What were the expectations of a wife? How did the political situation effect women and did women have any power over political outcomes?

10. How does the ending of the novel echo its themes and motifs? What type of future does this ending represent?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

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