Reading in the Dark is a personal narrative that is rooted in Ireland’s history. How does Deane’s reflective, personal writing style affect your understanding of the novel’s main conflict?  

Repression and secrecy are dominant themes of the novel. Discuss the ways they manifest in the narrator’s family and how they affect relationships among the family members. 

In many ways, Reading in the Dark is a coming-of-age novel. Discuss the hurdles that the narrator overcomes and the ways in which these experiences thrust him into adulthood.