How do the different characters in The Clay Marble navigate the tensions between loyalty to the family and loyalty to a state or political ideal? In what ways, if any, can these personal and national loyalties be resolved?

Explore the gender dynamics in the novel. How are femininity and masculinity represented? What is the significance between the similarities and differences between the two?

The novel explores both interpersonal ties formed via bloodlines (family) and those formed through voluntary choice (friendships). How are these different interpersonal dynamics related in the novel? How do these connections contribute to the novel’s narrative, characterization, and/or key ideas?