51 pages 1 hour read

Willa Cather

Death Comes for the Archbishop

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1927

A 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

1.

Pick one of the religious symbols used in Death Comes for the Archbishop and explain how it helps explicate the novel’s broader thematic structure. How does Cather treat religion with complexity and nuance, and what does that depiction say about her broader message?

2.

Discuss the relationship between Fathers Latour and Vaillant. What kind of men are they, and what defines their friendship? How do their different characters and leadership styles complement one another?

3.

Consider the novel’s representation of women. Although the protagonists are men, several female characters are key figures. Cather, as an author, was interested in gender and in the gendered experiences of women on the frontier. Using textual evidence, examine how the novel engages with gender and the issues that women faced during the early days of US expansion into the West and Southwest?

Related Titles

By Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

A Lost Lady

Willa Cather

A Lost Lady

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

A Wagner Matinee

Willa Cather

A Wagner Matinee

Willa Cather

Plot Summary

logo

Coming, Aphrodite!

Willa Cather

Coming, Aphrodite!

Willa Cather

Plot Summary

logo

Lucy Gayheart

Willa Cather

Lucy Gayheart

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

My Antonia

Willa Cather

My Antonia

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

Neighbour Rosicky

Willa Cather

Neighbour Rosicky

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

One Of Ours

Willa Cather

One Of Ours

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

Paul's Case

Willa Cather

Paul's Case

Willa Cather

Plot Summary

logo

Shadows on the Rock

Willa Cather

Shadows on the Rock

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

The Professor's House

Willa Cather

The Professor's House

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

The Sculptor's Funeral

Willa Cather

The Sculptor's Funeral

Willa Cather

Study Guide

logo

The Song of the Lark

Willa Cather

The Song of the Lark

Willa Cather