50 pages 1 hour read

Anita Shreve

The Pilot's Wife

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1998

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.

Mattie was close to Jack and is devastated by her father’s death. How does Shreve use the character of Mattie to explore the grieving process? How does her grieving contrast with Kathryn’s? Does Shreve suggest that one is healthier? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

2.

Throughout the novel, Jack keeps a variety of secrets from Kathryn. Why does Jack go to such great lengths to keep secrets from Kathryn, even small and innocuous ones? How does Shreve foreshadow and plant the seeds of Jack’s having a second family?

3.

When Robert is telling Kathryn about the cockpit recording, he reminds her, “Even one phrase different, [...] and the whole tape could mean something else” (179). How does the novel explore shifting perspectives? How do shifting perspectives connect to the deeper meaning of the novel?

Related Titles

By Anita Shreve

Plot Summary

logo

Light on Snow

Anita Shreve

Light on Snow

Anita Shreve

Plot Summary

logo

The Stars are Fire

Anita Shreve

The Stars are Fire

Anita Shreve