The Caretaker: A Novel

What role does Dr. Egan play in advancing one or more of the novel’s key themes? What makes him an important minor character?

In what ways was Blackburn’s childhood bout of polio life altering? How has it impacted him as both a child and an adult?

Rash’s novel calls to mind Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Examine the key parallels between the two works to construct an argument about the applicability of key tropes to modern society.

Blackburn speaks frequently about having a duty, as the cemetery caretaker, to both the dead and the living—a notion that he was taught by the previous caretaker. What are these respective duties? How does Blackburn set out to fulfill them? Where does he succeed, and where does he falter?

Compare and contrast the various parents in the novel. Consider the differences and similarities in the parenting approaches of the Clarkes, the Hamptons, and the Gants. What argument does the novel make about which approaches are most successful?

Though they do not deny that they are being untruthful and deceptive, Daniel and Cora believe that their actions are in the best interest of Jacob and done out of love. Consider the topic from their point of view—what causes them to feel that they are justified? What notions do they hold about the responsibilities of parents to children?

Why is Veronica Weaver an important minor character? What role does she play in the novel’s conflict?

After returning from service in the Korean War, Jacob deals with what would today be diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Conduct some brief research on how this condition was perceived and treated in the mid-century. In what ways does the treatment (or lack of, in some respects) that Jacob receives impact his mental health?