The Nix

Explore the implications of the title. Use the explanation Faye’s father gives for this Norwegian folk lore figure (281-83) and the two narrative appearances of the nisse to analyze how the narrative uses the idea of the ghosts, emotional and psychological, and the need for exorcism.

Is this novel an example of what is called a Künstlerroman, that is, the story of the emergence of an artist? Analyze the idea that we have been reading the novel that Samuel, finally freed from his guilt and his anger, feels free at last to create. How does the novel manifest his embrace of empathy and understanding?

The central relationship in the novel is the love/obsession between Samuel and Bethany. Analyze what is gained or lost by recounting the critical moments in that relationship as a Choose Your Own Adventure story (338-404). That account is the longest set piece in the novel. Is that a gimmick that detracts from the depth of the emotions, or does it reflect fundamental elements of Samuel’s perception of life?