The Girl with All the Gifts

Carey opens the novel with Melanie’s perspective and a detailed litany of her daily routine. Melanie’s tone is very detached and matter-of-fact when describing her life in a cell and strapped into a wheelchair. How does that tone affect the reader’s perception of Melanie and her situation?

Carey shifts perspective throughout the novel, giving readers the point of view of all five survivors at various times. What purpose does this shifting perspective strategy serve? How would the reading experience be different if Carey had focused his narrative through a single point of view?

A cornerstone of the novel is Melanie’s gradual self-realization. Cite some examples of when Melanie begins to become self-aware. What is her reaction to this new understanding of herself?

Parks and Caldwell both treat the children in abusive ways. How do they each justify their behavior? Do their justifications suggest that, consciously or subconsciously, they know what they’re doing is unethical?

The fungal growths sprouting from within their human hosts is a disturbing image. What does this phenomenon imply about humanity’s role in nature’s life cycle? How does it conflict with how human beings see themselves in the context of the natural world?

Explain how the relationship between Melanie and Miss Justineau evolves over the course of the novel. How does each of them cope with the changes?

The novel explores the idea of how people dehumanize those they fear. Does Carey suggest any similarities between humans and hungries, or at least between humans and the zombie children?

Zombie apocalypse films and literature have become popular in the relatively recent past. Some scholars have argued that zombies and end-of-the-world scenarios reflect society’s fears and provide a fictional coping mechanism. What current social anxieties might The Girl with All the Gifts be reflecting or ruminating on?