Look at the final paragraph of the Afterword, on p. 176. Do
the ideas that Amis states explicitly here throw any light on ideas that have
been implicit in the novel, especially in Part III?
Looking over the whole novel
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION OR ESSAYS
1. Who, or what, is the narrator of
Time's Arrow, and what is his relationship to the main character?
2. Consider
and discuss the relationship between power and impotence in Time's Arrow.
3. Discuss
the ways in which Time's Arrow presents the human body.
4. In your opinion, does the playful
conceit of time running backwards make a coherent point about the human
capacity for evil?
5. 'Consciousness, or selfhood, or
corporeality, is intolerable' (p. 78): 'Consciousness isn't intolerable. It is
beautiful' (p. 82). Is either of these points of view supported by the novel?
6. Discuss
the role of memory in the novel.
7. Explore
the link between humour and terror in the novel.
8. What
meanings does the tide, Time's Arrow, take on in the novel?
9. 'One of the key concepts in Nazi
ideology was that of 'progress': the narrative conceit of Time's Arrow can
itself be seen as an ironic comment on that idea'. Discuss.
10. Consider
the representation of women in the novel.
11. What importance
does fear have in Time's Arrow?
