Harvest

Question 1

What is Jordan symbolic of?

Answer 1

Rapacious capitalism and the corrupt, greedy and selfish motives that come with it.

Question 2

What could Jordan’s men be representative of?

Answer 2

Initially an invading army

Question 3

In what way does Crace present a case for change and modernity?
+2 quotes

Answer 3

The community and its leader are backwards-looking and defending a failing and unsustainable lifestyle.

‘Skinny lives’
‘Defend ourselves against hunger’

Question 4

What political and social context could link to the necessary progress and modernity for the village?

Answer 4

Industrial revolution- definitely destroyed the livelihood of manual workers, artisans etc, but was necessary to keep up with demand and changing times.

Question 5

What is a recurring theme across Crace’s novels?

Answer 5

The movement from one age to another

Question 6

What ominously haunts the entire novel?

Answer 6

The anxiety that ‘our final harvest might have come and gone’.

Question 7

How does Jordan view the villagers?

Answer 7

As ‘Nothing but sheep munching the grass’. He cares nothing for them and only sees them as factors of production to be exploited.

Question 8

3 reasons why the community is screaming out for change?

Answer 8

• Their sole task is to ‘defend ourselves against hunger’.
• Justice is poorly managed
• Arguments and fights dangerously flare up

Question 9

How could the idea of ‘Harvest’ be seen as the biggest in the novel?

Answer 9

The idea that ‘you reap what you sow’. The villagers rejection, isolation and poor treatment of the outsiders was eventually reflected onto them, where they ‘will be reunited on the road’

Question 10

How could the idea of ‘Harvest’ be seen as the biggest in the novel?

Answer 10

The idea that ‘you reap what you sow’. The villagers rejection, isolation and poor treatment of the outsiders was eventually reflected onto them, where they ‘will be reunited on the road’

Question 11

Social and political modern day context for isolationism?

Answer 11

Debates over Scotland’s independence, immigration and Britain’s position in the EU

Question 12

How could the end of the novel be seen as ironic?

Answer 12

The villagers rejection, isolation and poor treatment of the outsiders was eventually reflected onto them, begging for acceptance from a foreign community.

Question 13

Why are the villagers in a dangerous position once they are evicted off the land?

Answer 13

The villagers have no knowledge or understanding of the world beyond their boundaries.

Question 14

How could the members of the community could be seen to be the authors of their own degeneration and Harvest could be read as a condemnation of blind isolationism?

Answer 14

In cutting themselves off from the outside world and failing to welcome new blood.

Question 15

What modern day social and political context could there be for the novel for mob mentality of violence?

Answer 15

It was written in the wake of the 2012 riots.

Question 16

What religious significance is there about the destruction of the village?

Answer 16

The world is ‘unmade’ in 7 days- the Creation story in reverse.

Question 17

How are the villagers responsible for their own eviction?

Answer 17

Their attack on the groom ultimately results in their self-removal from the land as they are all too aware that their attack on their new master’s man will result in severe punishment.

Question 18

Who is Master Kent juxtaposed with?

Answer 18

Master Jordan

Question 19

What does Crace perhaps want us to consider about the two leaders?

Answer 19

These different styles of leadership, both of which are found wanting and prove destructive and to perhaps question how such an unruly populace could be justly and efficiently managed.

Question 20

What could Master Kent be seen as?

Answer 20

The ‘enabler’- he becomes just as bad as Jordan by failing to recognise and intervene in Jordan’s tyrannical abuse of the villagers.

Question 21

What are the three stereotypical roles in harvest for the women?

Answer 21

1. Whores, seen as only used to satisfy sexual desires.
2. Childbearing, motherly role or seen as idols.
3. Sourceresses, dark and dangerous when not controlled by men.

Question 22

Ultimately what are the women’s roles in the novel?

Answer 22

Remaining ultimately powerless, their bodies inscribed with the identities their male counterparts place upon them and frequently suffering for the men’s sins.

Question 23

What do the villager’s initial xenaphobia lead to? How does this progress?

Answer 23

The scapegoating of the villagers, which leads to a chain of misfortunes –> the death of Mistress Belledame’s father, and later their own eviction of the land because of their mob violence.

Question 24

What effect does Crace’s unstated time period have?

Answer 24

It makes the novel timeless, and also allows the reader to draw their own conclusions and consider the ideas as relevant to or a comment on our times (microcosm).

Question 25

Which imagery is used to describe the villager’s mob mentality and violence?

Answer 25

Animalistic imagery

Question 26

In what way could Harvest be seen as a dystopian text?

Answer 26

If the story is seen as a reverse of the Creation story.

Question 27

However, what evidence is there against the novel being a reverse creation story?

Answer 27

To be seen as a reverse creation story, the village must initially be seen as perfect, an Eden. However, the village has many problems such as ‘defending their skinny lives’ and constant hard work.

Question 28

How can the xenaphobia In Harvest be applied to the 21st century?

Answer 28

It echoes current xenophobic voices and attitudes towards economic migrants and asylum seekers.

Question 29

Which current 21st century issue does Master Jordan perhaps remind us of?

Answer 29

Today’s issues of globalisation.

Question 30

Whilst we are critical of Jordan’s capitalism, how can we, the consumer be blamed too?

Answer 30

Mass production is fuelled by mass consumerism and the question is whether we are too implicit in this greed.

Question 31

What must be considered when debating who caused the destruction of the village?

Answer 31

If Jordan did or if the destruction was inevitable.

Question 32

What might be the reader expect upon the newcomers arrival?

Answer 32

A warm welcome

Question 33

One example of a destructive individual other than Kent and Jordan, and why?

Answer 33

Walter Thirsk, who repeats throughout the course of the novel ‘But I chose to hold my Tonge’.