Deacon King Kong

How might this story have been different if it were set in another major American city at this time? What about a small town?

How might this story have been different if it were set in the present day? What issues would remain the same, and which ones would differ?

Does Sportcoat’s reliance on alcohol and the drinking habits of his friends impact how you view their characters? Why, or why not? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

Do you see influences of the civil rights movements of the 1960s in America in this story? If so, what are they? If not, why do you think McBride chose not to allude to them?

How would you describe McBride’s writing style in this book? Is this stye consistent across his other fiction works? (Include at least two examples from at least one other novel McBride has written.)

What does Sportcoat’s disappearance from the Cause community at the end of the novel mean?

How are religion and religious characters portrayed in the novel? What messages does McBride seem to be implying about faith, institutional religion, and “conversion”?

Research James McBride’s life and involvement in Brooklyn community-building. What similarities and differences do you see between the world he inhabited in real life and the world he portrays in the book? (McBride’s memoir The Color of Water might be especially useful in determining the answer to this question.)