Homecoming

Although Nora is not an active character in the present timeline of Homecoming, her actions and decisions profoundly shape Jess’s and Polly’s lives. Trace the development of Nora’s character throughout the novel, noting how Morton uses new information to shift the overall perspective of Nora as a person.

Early in the novel, Isabel reflects that her husband Thomas “had quite fixed ideas about motherhood. And wifedom” (3). What are Thomas’s implied views on the nature of matrimony and motherhood? How does Morton use the characters of Isabel, Nora, Polly, and Meg to explore Thomas’s traditional perspectives?

What role does the Australian landscape play in the novel, and how does it contribute to the themes of the story?