The New York Trilogy

The interplay between the roles of the writer and the detective in the novel are central to the author’s genre choice. In what ways does the narrative deconstruct detective fiction? How does this connect to the novel’s exploration of the relationship between literature and reality?

Quinn is a writer who assumes the role of detective. What does his character say about the nature of literary work? How does he navigate the boundaries between fiction and reality?

Consider Stillman’s book in City of Glass as an intertextual and metafictional element. How does the allegory of The New Babel connect to America, and New York in particular, as a postmodern space? How does this allegory reinforce the discussion about identities and language? Use the text to support your answer.

Analyze Blue’s transformation as a character in Ghosts. What does it say about the nature of literature? In what ways does reading and writing impact the self?

Examine the symbolism of Blue’s spying on Black as he writes his book. What does Black’s character signify in relation to the writer’s life? What does Blue’s invasion of his apartment symbolize?

In The Locked Room, why does the narrator undertake Fanshawe’s biography, and what does this decision signal for the character? How does this element reflect the interplay between fiction and reality?

The three stories remain open-ended. Analyze the similarities between the stories’ endings. What do they say about the nature of storytelling?

What is the role of New York as a setting in the novel? How is the city described in each story? How does it relate to the book’s genre and to the characters’ identities?