John sees baptism as a form of blessing, while to his grandfather, “being blessed meant being bloodied” (36). All three of the Ames men are ministers, but they have three very differing views of faith. Compare and contrast their beliefs.

Gilead has a male narrator and the story centers on male relationships and bonds. How do female characters impact John’s life and the narrative? Are they as strongly developed as the male characters? Why or why not?

The town of Gilead undergoes many transformations across time, and its people do too. How does John change as the narrative progresses? What are the transformative moments in his life? How do these moments affect him personally? How do they affect his religious beliefs?