Fierce attachments

Discussion questions for Fierce attachments

Bring these to your book club — or discuss them with readers on Readfeed.

1. 1

   How does the physical setting of 1950s New York City—specifically the tenement apartment building and the bustling Bronx streets—function almost as a character in shaping Vivian’s worldview and her relationship with her mother?

2. 2

   Gornick uses her daily walks with her mother through the city streets as a framing device for the memoir; what do these walks reveal about the boundary lines (or lack thereof) between their inner and outer lives?

3. 3

   In what ways does Nettie’s grief over the death of Vivian’s father cast a long shadow over Vivian’s own emotional development and her understanding of romantic love?