TEXT RESPONSE TOPICS

• “He has pinned me to ill fortune, and although I have struggled, I am run through and through with disaster; I am knifed to the hilt with fate.” ‘It is Agnes’s struggle against fate and ill fortune that wins the
  reader’s sympathy.’
  Do you agree?
• ‘Hannah Kent’s integration of historical facts with her re-imagining of Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s story makes the novel even more powerful.’
  What makes Burial Rites a powerful novel?
• To what extent does Tóti fulfil his task of bringing Agnes to God?
• ‘Margrét ends up being the most admirable character in Burial Rites.’
  Do you agree?
• How does Hannah Kent make the landscape and weather an integral part of her novel?
• ‘Tóti’s father tells him: “You’re a servant of the Lord. Don’t disgrace yourself, boy”.’
  Does Tóti succeed in his role as Agnes’s spiritual advisor?
• ‘Burial Rites shows how important story telling is for both individuals and communities.’
  Discuss.
• ‘The use of motifs in Burial Rites assists the reader’s understanding of important themes in the novel.’
  Do you agree?
• ‘Hannah Kent’s choices of narrative perspective allow the reader to better understand the main characters of Burial Rites.’
  Discuss.
• ‘The traditions and rituals of Icelandic culture are imperative to the reader’s understanding of the events in the novel.’
  To what extent do you agree?
• ‘The setting of the novel becomes a crucial part of the story.’ Discuss.
• How does the use of natural imagery become such a vital part of Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s story?
• “Everything I said was taken from me and altered until the story wasn’t my own.”
  In what ways is Agnes disempowered in Burial Rites?
• In what ways, and how successfully, does Agnes maintain her dignity until her
  execution?
• ‘If there is anyone deserving of blame for the events in the novel, it is Natan Ketilsson.’
  Do you agree? 
• ‘All Agnes has wanted in life is to be loved and it is because of love she is executed.’
  Discuss.
• ‘The wielding of power over others is a central theme in Burial Rites.’ Discuss.
• “But poverty scrapes these homes down until they all look the same, and they all have in common the absence of things that ought to be there. I might as well have been at one place all my life.”
  What role does absence play in Agnes’s life?
• ‘Ambivalence and truth lie at this novel’s heart, for the two narrative accounts of Agnes’s life leading up to the murders lie on shifting ground.’
  How does this ‘shifting ground’ create tension in the novel?
• “I’ve told the truth and you can see for yourself how it has served me.” ‘The question of what is truth and what is not is at the heart of Burial Rites.’ Discuss.
• ‘Burial Rites isn’t just the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir. It is also the story of a landscape of deprivation and poverty.’
  Is this how you see the novel?
• ‘Although Burial Rites is a story of secrets and lies, there are still many truths to be learned from the novel.’
  Discuss. ​
• ‘Although death is at the centre of Burial Rites, Hannah Kent is still able to show there is value in life.’
  Do you agree?
• How do dreams, omens and superstitions play an important part in the novel?
• ‘Women have no power in Burial Rites. The patriarchal society dominates their lives.’
  To what extent do you agree?
• “I cannot remember not knowing Natan. I cannot think of what it was not to love him. To look at him and realise I had found what I had not known I was hungering for.”
  How does Agnes’s journey towards death allow her to appreciate the importance of love?
• “If no one will say your name, you are forgotten. I am forgotten.”
  How does Hannah Kent ensure that Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s name will not be forgotten? ​