The Cloisters

Ann Stilwell believes that all the events of her summer at the Cloisters were predestined. Does the novel agree with this perspective? What, if anything, could Ann have done to prevent Patrick Roland’s death?

Although Ann and Rachel Mondray come from very different upbringings, Rachel insists that they’re the same. How is this statement true, and in which ways is it false? Use examples from the text to compare and contrast the two women.

The novel explores multiple power dynamics between the four central characters, Ann, Rachel, Leo, and Patrick. How does the balance of power shift across the novel from beginning to end?