The novel is set in the United States capital, Washington, DC, where all the major laws of the country are written. How does the setting inform the novel’s central ideas? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Trace the patterns of Michael’s, Mordecai’s, and Drake & Sweeney’s language in reference to people without homes. How is each character’s language different, and what are the effects of the tone and language they use? How and why has the language regarding unhoused people changed since the 1990s?

How does Grisham use Michael and Claire’s relationship as a symbolic parallel to Michael’s occupational and personal journeys? What insight into Michael does this technique give the reader?