The Man Who Was Thursday

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, anarchy is defined as both the “absence or denial of any authority or established order” and “disorder.” How does the concept of anarchy contradict traditional constructions of law enforcement? In particular, why would established governments be concerned with anarchist movements? Finally, is the term anarchy subjective, especially when it is linked with spirituality? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question introduces the political and sociological context of anarchy in relation to the novel’s theme of The Narrative As Metaphysical Thriller. On the surface, Chesterton’s novel explores the UK’s response to anarchy of order and law enforcement; in fact, the subject of anarchy was a popular motif of discussion in late 19th- and early 20th-century Western literature. However, you could extend this conversation to consider how the text possesses undertones of religious symbolism through biblical allegories and allusions that insinuate a deeper message related to the spiritualist transformation of the soul for followers of the Christian God. This Short Answer question connects with the main Activity.