The Heat of the Day

Stella is portrayed as an independent woman, but at one point justifies her accusation of Robert by saying that “the more one thinks, the less there’s any outside reality—at least, that’s so with a woman: we have no scale” (214). Using evidence from the text, discuss how Stella’s character either subverts and/or aligns with gender conventions of the mid-20th century.

The novel plays with the idea of trust and doubt, especially in Stella’s dynamics with both Robert and Harrison. How does the novel explore the nature and potential pitfalls of trust?

The novel includes various settings, including Regent Park, Louie’s flat, Stella’s flat, Mount Morris, and Home Dene. How do Bowen’s descriptions of these locations differ? What is the wider significance of each?

The characters conceive of loyalty, both personal and national, in various ways. How do characters like Stella, Robert, Harrison, and/or Louie differ in their conceptions and experiences of loyalty? How do these conceptions illustrate the novel’s key themes and ideas?

How would you describe the relationship between Stella and Louie as characters? What are the differences and similarities in terms of situation, temperament, and/or personal dilemmas?

Bowen wrote at a time when Modernism had already established itself as a major literary movement. What Modernist literary techniques does Bowen use in The Heat of the Day? In what ways, if any, does her work differ from Modernist tropes and approaches?

Although the characters and story are fictional, the novel is set against the real-life events of WWII. How does Bowen blend fictional and factual details in her narrative?

Sexuality and desire play subtle but important roles in the narrative and in the character arcs. How are these aspects of life depicted? How does war influence the experience of sex and desire for the characters?