North Woods

Like the human characters who pass through the woods, the catamount figures prominently in the narrative. Discuss the references to and appearances of this animal. What point is the author is trying to make by introducing the catamount at these stages in the narrative?

The inhabitants of the north woods tend to view this rustic location as a paradise when they first arrive there. Why? Choose three individuals whose experience of the woods illustrates the theme of Paradise Lost, and explain, referencing the text.

How does Farnsworth’s perception of the north woods differ from the perceptions of all the inhabitants who came before him? In what way is his perception exactly the same as theirs? Explain, referencing the text.

Why are apples an important motif in North Woods? Cite several examples of their appearance in the story. What messages are they meant to convey?

Consider the ways in which lives are layered in the north woods in a sedimentary way, without connecting. Cite three examples of disjunction that illustrate the theme of The Narrative Puzzle.

Trace the progression of the “Nightmaids” Letter through the lives of the people who inhabited the north woods. How does its history reinforce Farnsworth’s observation that “man has a gift of ignoring that which is right beneath his nose” (183)?

Charles Osgood appears both as a living man and as a ghost in the novel. How does he differ at the novel’s end? What does his ghostly existence imply about the concept of succession that Nora explains in the final chapters?

Aside from the changes that occur throughout the north woods, the yellow house is subject to birth, growth, and death. Describe its evolution and how these physical changes reflect changes in American culture as a whole.