Essay Questions

Why is Elizabeth Costello so determined to talk about pragmatism?

Elizabeth is depicted by the author as an individual who speaks the truth that many people do not want to hear. She is so determined to portray life as it is without beating around the bush. She believes that people should know the situation as it is without sugarcoating life just to make it appealing. Elizabeth's push for realism has made the public to disregard her speeches. The truth is that realism is a harsh aspect of life that no one wants to engage in. The reader learns that human beings are looking for escape routes to run away from the realities of life.

How does Elizabeth’s work affect her family relations?

Family is associated with happiness, comfort, and support. However, Elizabeth's family is a complete contrast to the expectations of the family unit. She is so dedicated to her writing and activism activities while neglecting her family. She is an elderly woman who should be close to her family but she is not doing that and this has destroyed her family relations. For instance, her son, John, finds himself at crossroads because he is struggling with an identity crisis. However, John still considers her mother as part of the family despite her busy schedule.

What is the allegorical meaning of Nazism in the story Elizabeth Costello?

Elizabeth is a vegetarian and she believes that animal life is sacred and should be respected at all times. She notes that those people who criticize vegetarianism are after killing animals and eating them. She equates Nazism to meat-eating individuals. The ideologies of the Nazi regime include putting people the concentration camps to kill them. She argues that people in the camps are mistreated and left to die just the way animals are killed. Elizabeth concludes that there is no difference in the thinking of meat-eaters and Nazism.