The Thirteenth Tale

How does Setterfield use classic gothic literature conventions throughout the novel? Why does she choose to draw these parallels? What do they reveal about Margaret and Vida’s stories?

In The Thirteenth Tale, Setterfield invokes the idea of two worlds existing side by side, separated by only a thin membrane. Margaret often feels this separation between our world and the world of the dead. Why does Setterfield develop this imagery? How does it deepen the reader’s understanding of Margaret’s story?

There are many references in Setterfield’s novel to the idea of each person having a story. Yet, when someone is telling Margaret their story, it often begins from someone else’s perspective. Show some examples of this strategy in the text and discuss what Setterfield might be trying to communicate with it.

Discuss the imagery of ghosts in the novel. Why does Setterfield layer this imagery throughout the narrative, and how does it contribute to the reader’s understanding of the novel?

Many mothers are represented in this novel: Isabelle, Emmeline, Mrs. Love, and Margaret’s own mother. Analyze the representation of mothers in the text. What might Setterfield be trying to say about the relationship between mothers and daughters?

Toward the end of the novel, Margaret tells Aurelius that her mother, “thinks a weightless story is better than one that’s too heavy” (393). What does Margaret’s mother mean by this? Does Margaret agree with her mother? Why or why not?

Discuss the relationship between Hester and Dr. Maudsley. What does it reveal about the prevailing attitude between the sexes and about women at that time? How does Hester’s diary further inform the reader’s understanding of their relationship?

Analyze the significance of the mist throughout the novel. Why did Setterfield use this imagery, and how does it support the meaning of the story?