70 pages • 2 hours read
Beth O'LearyThe Flatshare
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Content Warning: The source text and this guide include discussion of emotional abuse and manipulative behavior in relationships.
How do Tiffy’s and Leon’s narrative styles differ? What effect do these differences, and their alternation throughout the narrative, have on their characterization and the experience of reading the text?
In the novel, Tiffy is slow to recognize that the relationship she had with Justin was abusive. In what ways does the author hint at his abuse before making it clear? Use examples from the text to support your answer.
How do Tiffy’s and Leon’s friendships and relationships with other people help them understand and connect with each other? Give specific examples from the text to explain your answer.
Would Tiffy and Leon have fallen for each other if they had met in real life right away? Why or why not? Give examples from the text to support your answer.
Leon admits that he had not been in love with Kay for a while before they broke up. Why is her refusal to accept Richie’s innocence, or support Leon’s belief in his brother, the final straw for Leon?
Several of the minor characters in the novel serve as reminders to Tiffy and Leon that they only live once and need to take risks sometimes. Who are these characters, and how do they accomplish their task?
What does Tiffy’s beloved Brixton blanket represent in the novel? How do the blanket’s purpose and the characters’ feelings about it change alongside their relationship?
What impact do the various settings—such as Brighton, the flat, or the castle—have on the plot and characters in this novel? How do those settings contribute to the overall themes and mood of the book?
Why is Leon particularly well equipped to understand and support Tiffy through The Long Process of Recovering From Emotional Abuse? Explain your answers with evidence from the text.
“Foils” are pairs of characters who are very different from each other and who tend to enhance or emphasize the other’s traits through contrast. What are some pairs of foils in The Flatshare? What impact do the contrasting pairs of characters have on the readers’ experience?
