logo

61 pages 2 hours read

Alejo Carpentier

The Lost Steps

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1953

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

In Chapters 1 and 5, the narrator stops putting dates on his diary entries. What does this suggest about how his relationship to time changes as he moves between urbanized and “natural” environments?

2.

The narrator’s search for creative renewal leads him to self-awareness and disillusionment. To what degree are these emotionally difficult experiences presented as necessary preconditions for creativity?

3.

Carpentier densely layers allusions to classical literature, mythology, composers, and historical quests. What function do these allusions serve within the narrative?

4.

How does the protagonist’s idealization of Indigenous cultures reveal a colonialist perspective? How does the text convey a more nuanced understanding of Indigeneity and colonization than the narrator has?

5.

To what degree does Ruth’s predicament as an actor trapped in a role that never ends reflect the narrator’s own sense of entrapment in forms of cultural performance that are no longer vital?

6.

How does Fray Pedro reconcile Indigenous sacred texts like the Popol Vuh whose prophecies he apparently believes in, with his Christian beliefs? Why does he choose to die for the goal of converting Indigenous people to Christianity?

7.

Examine the role of silence and omitted conversations in the text. What does the absence of direct dialogue in key scenes suggest about the characters’ understanding of each other and their environment? How does it affect the reader’s understanding?

8.

Explore the narrator’s use of biblical imagery to describe scenes and characters, particularly Mouche and Rosario. Why does he rely on these religious metaphors despite his apparent lack of religious conviction, and how does this affect the reader’s understanding of the characters and their actions?

9.

Discuss the symbolism of the jungle as both a refuge from and a victim of colonization. How does the jungle serve as a character in its own right, representing resistance to or absorption of colonial influences?

10.

Consider the narrative’s exploration of fate versus free will. How do the characters’ beliefs about destiny influence their actions, and what might the novel suggest about the nature of human agency?

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text