The Rhetoric of Death

by Judith Rock

  8. Charles has participated in untoward acts in his past, but has chosen a life of service to God and the church. Do you think, based on his character and actions throughout the novel, that this is a true calling for him? Why or why not?

  9. When Pernelle is hiding in Charles’s chamber, Charles says his prayers but they do not bring him his usual peace, as he listens to Pernelle’s breathing deep into the night (page 320). Do you think it is because he is questioning his calling as a priest?

  10. Jealousy runs rampant throughout the novel and is the reason for several characters’ demise. Discuss how the time period might have spurred those feelings.

  11. Do you think Charles’s love for Pernelle takes away from his love for God?

  12. Toward the end of the novel, when Charles sees the Jeanne d’Arc statue, he realizes that belief in personal truth is better—and maybe stronger—than worldly power. Do you think this idea has been forming in him throughout the novel and influencing his dealings with the power structures of church, college, social class, and government?

  13. Do you think the Society of Jesus and the Roman Catholic Church were like the other power structures in France at the time?

  14. Do you think Charles will stay with the Society of Jesus and become a priest?

  Charles and his Paris will return in late 2011—for updates and details, please check the author’s website at www.judithrock.com.