48 pages • 1 hour read
They Never Learn
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Essay Topics
Discuss the color red as a symbol. How is it depicted throughout They Never Learn, and what is its larger significance? Do other colors serve as symbols?
Discuss the novel’s handling of Power Dynamics and Sex Crimes in Academia. Which characters wield power in unethical ways to harass or assault women? What are the stakes and outcomes of their actions?
Discuss the novel’s handling of Misogyny and Sexism in Academia. How is Scarlett treated differently from her male colleagues? How does this treatment affect students?
Discuss the novel’s handling of Vigilante Justice and Morality. Does it frame Scarlett’s murders as justified? How so?
Compare and contrast Carly and Scarlett. What are their personalities? What are Scarlett’s priorities in the two storylines?
Layne Fargo is co-host of a podcast called Unlikeable Female Characters. What does the podcast’s title mean, and how does it apply to the female characters in They Never Learn?
Discuss Allison as a survivor of assault. How does her behavior speak to trauma and recovery? Why does this behavior include disrespecting Carly?
Discuss the novel’s use of pursuit as a motif. How does it affect Carly/Scarlett? How does it reinforce one or more of the novel’s themes?
How does the novel depict queer desire? How does this complicate Scarlett’s relationships with Allison and Mina?
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