Through their formal and thematic focus on the inescapable web of connections that bind the central characters, the tales within The Beggar Maid offer a rich tapestry for exploring character evolution. An intriguing path of inquiry is to delve into how Rose's formative experiences and historical events shape her as she grows older. Do readers find Munro's assertion of the enduring power of these connections compelling? This idea intriguingly challenges the Western cultural narrative that hard work and focus can lead to success in any chosen pursuit.

The book also showcases Munro's meticulous attention to recurring imagery, motifs, and themes, particularly through the lens of her female characters' lives. Discussion groups might explore, for instance, how Munro crafts patterns to underscore the significance of "domestic" spaces in her stories, like kitchens, or how she highlights the complex duality of female sexuality.

Explorations in Narrative Perspective

1. Munro's prepublication revision of The Beggar Maid involved removing all first-person narrations, either by omitting certain stories or by transforming them into a third-person perspective. How did this choice impact the book's finalized version as a whole? Consider what ripple effects the presence of a solitary first-person narrative or a collection of them might have had on the book. Could these narratives have been woven into the book as a distinct section, or perhaps aligned with the implied timeline of Rose's life?

The Power of Titles

2. The tale "Privilege" first appeared in Ms. magazine (September 1978) under the title "The Honeyman's Daughter." Titles often guide readers in approaching literature, shaping initial perceptions of which characters, details, or settings deserve attention. How does this alteration in title influence the reader's perception and interpretation of the story's deeper meanings?

3. How does renaming the book from The Beggar Maid to The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose transform the experience of reading?

Settings and Cultural Influence

4. Does the specifically Canadian setting of many stories affect a reader's understanding of the collection? If it does, in what ways? If not, why did Munro choose to emphasize the "Canadianness" of her work? Why did she pinpoint her fictional town of Hanratty in Ontario and specify Rose's moves to Canadian cities like Kingston, Toronto, and Vancouver?

Exploring Texture and Mystery

5. In her acclaimed essay "Writing Short Stories," Flannery O'Connor notes that "[t]here are two qualities that make fiction: a sense of mystery and a sense of manners. You glean manners from the texture of existence around you." Reflect on how Munro crafts this "texture" in her fiction, keeping in mind that "texture" is a term she frequently employs to describe her own work.

Interdependent Stories or a Novel?

6. Some critics propose that The Beggar Maid — much like Lives of Girls and Women — can be interpreted as either a series of standalone yet interconnected stories or as a novel. Do you concur or differ? Why?

Reality or Imagination?

7. Does Rose truly undergo the sexual encounter on the train in "Wild Swans," or is this experience a figment of her imagination?