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The Man Who Fell from the Sky: Readers Guide
- Vicky is called Woman Alone. In what ways is she alone in this novel?
- Vicky says that she, Ruth and Cutter are all outsiders. In what way are they outsiders? After all, Ruth and Vicky both grew up on the reservation.
- Why does Vicky begin to suspect that Cutter is not who he pretends to be?
- This is a novel of imposters. Cutter says we are all imposters. We all remake ourselves. Do you agree? And if this is true, what are the ways in which different characters are imposters.
- What kind of man is Butch Cassidy presented as? Was he also an imposter at different times? How did he try to reinvent himself?
- Does it seem likely that Butch did return to the reservation in the 1920s and 1930s? Friends welcomed him, but relatives also fell all over themselves to welcome James home, and James was an imposter.
- There is also the idea of the chameleon in the story: people being different at different times. Does this apply to anyone other than Cutter?
- Cutter claims he found the treasure. Is this believable? Is anything about Cutter believable?
- Discuss the power of belief in the novel. How does what the characters believe shape their lives? How does it cause different characters to act in certain ways: Robert, Ruth, Cutter, Father John, Vicky.
- Discuss the way in which women try to shape their own destiny at different periods on the reservation. How is Mary Boyd's situation different from Vicky's?
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