Essay Questions

Explore community life as brought out in Jonathan Coe’s The Rotter’s Club.

Set in an age without the craze of social media, community life is central to the portrayal of events in this novel. The writer uses the intwined relationships between the characters in this work as a backdrop to his presentation of ideas. The characters not only live close by but also mingle and engage in mischief together. In this way, community life is brought out.

Challenges and upheavals are central to the teenagers followed in Jonathan Coe’s Rotters’ Club. Explore the truthfulness of this assertion as demonstrated in the work.

In the novel, the character Trotter loses his belief in humanity after his sibling survives a bomb attack. This event significantly influences his path and dreams. On the other hand, Doug, a classmate of Trotter’s is also dealing with the fact that his parents have divorced after his father cheats on his mother. Also, Philip becomes entangled in his mother’s affair with his art teacher. On top of that, a student becomes a victim of the prevalent racism.

How is mystery enhanced in this work?

Even though the writer brings out the challenges and the troubles that most of the characters in this novel, some details are kept such that the reader is unable to determine in conceptual terms what transpires. For instance, even though the reader understands that Trotter has lost all hope in humanity following an attempted bombing, it is not quite clear whether he overcomes these feelings and in this way, mystery is enhanced in the novel.