51 pages 1 hour read

Robert A. Heinlein

Stranger in a Strange Land

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1961

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Essay Topics

1.

Heinlein depicts the world through Smith’s innocent eyes. How does this naïve-yet-wise protagonist enable the novel’s critique of human society?

2.

Heinlein makes little distinction between politics, religion, and a carnival sideshow. How does the novel draw parallels between these seemingly disparate social phenomena?

3.

How does Heinlein’s portrayal of a global government—the Federation—reflect historical fears of the time? What are some specific examples in the narrative of an overreaching government?

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