65 pages 2 hours read

Niall Williams

This Is Happiness

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

What is the role of religion and faith in This Is Happiness? How do the characters’ beliefs and metaphysical assumptions shape their actions and the events in the story? Give specific examples from the text and analyze their effectiveness.

2.

Discuss the narrative voice in This Is Happiness. How does the perspective of an older Noe looking back on his past add depth to the storytelling and the themes of the novel?

3.

Analyze how Niall Williams uses the oral storytelling tradition within the narrative of This Is Happiness. How does this literary device connect to the overall themes of the novel? Discuss specific instances and their role in shaping the novel’s tone and themes.