Normal People Essay Questions

Why is the novel called Normal People?

The title of the novel is an ironic one, given Rooney's emphasis on the arbitrary nature of cultural norms and her portrayal of multiple ideals of normalcy. Both Marianne and Connell wish to be considered "normal," a state that combines popularity, happiness, and a freedom from desires or fears that they deem harmful. Each one assumes that other people are more normal than they are. In high school, Marianne considers Connell an embodiment of normalcy, while Connell projects this imagined normalcy onto his college girlfriend, Helen. Not only do these projections obscure the characters' real complexity, but, as Connell and Marianne move from high school to college, they are subject to such varyied definitions of "normal" as to render the word itself meaningless. In other words, Marianne and Connell are in fact "normal people," but only because they are no less abnormal than anybody else.

How does social class impact the protagonists' relationship?

While both Connell and Marianne live at home in Carricklea, they are surrounded by peers from modest roots. There, Marianne's wealth sets her apart, causing her peers to resent her. But in college, a far more privileged environment, Connell feels excluded. His lack of wealth makes him feel that his position is precarious, and cultural factors relating to his class background cause him to feel alienated in realms from class discussion to conversational humor. Class is at the root of many of the central couples' arguments, including perhaps the biggest one, in which Connell's inability to pay rent spirals into a breakup. It is only as they get older that they are able to speak more frankly and productively about money—partly because Connell is skilled and lucky enough to obtain much more of it, and partly because Marianne's break from her family causes her to have a good deal less. As their financial situations converge, Connell and Marianne continue to have conflict, but they are able to resolve it much more skillfully.

Discuss the role of the character Lorraine in the protagonists' characterization and the novel's plot development.

Lorraine, Connell's mother, is a relatively minor character with an outsize role in the character and plot development of Normal People. Initially, it is Lorraine who best identifies the fundamental humanity and goodness of the two main characters—both her son, whom others tend to see as a loose amalgamation of masculine stereotypes, and Marianne. Indeed, as a cleaner in Marianne's home, Lorraine is one of the only people to show her kindness during her teen years. On a plot level, her job in Marianne's home brings the main characters into proximity, serving as a catalyst for their relationship. Her familiarity with her son's desires and flaws, as well as her strong moral compass, help him learn to appreciate Marianne and treat her with kindness. Finally, at the end of the novel, Lorraine reveals a parallel between her own love for her son and Connell's love for Marianne: both relationships occurred unexpectedly and were initially unwanted. But Lorraine assures Connell that she is grateful to have him, implicitly reminding him to be grateful for Marianne's unplanned intrusion into his life.

Analyze Rooney's portrayal of the relationship between Connell and Helen Brophy.

Though Connell believes himself to be in love with Helen, his primary attraction to her has little to do with Helen herself. Rather, Connell mentally constructs a version of Helen who suits his ideal of normalcy, positioning her as the opposite of Marianne in terms of looks, personality, and background. In a sense, Connell's attraction to Helen is primarily an attraction to an idealized version of himself, free of complexity and contradiction. Even Rooney's pronoun use, in sections of the novel focusing on Helen and Connell's relationship, emphasizes this inward-looking orientation—Connell's internal monologue in these sections is packed with the pronoun "he," in reference to himself, rather than references to his girlfriend. Eventually the couple breaks up: Helen suspects that Connell has feelings for Marianne, and Connell is unable to sustain the illusion of love that initially cemented their relationship.

How does Connell's relationship to sports and athleticism shift over the course of the book?

Connell's identity and social standing at the beginning of Normal People are inextricable from his skill on the football field. He has a passion for sports, in part because they allow him to exercise a natural talent, and in part because they offer him an opportunity to express strong emotions. As he gets older, Connell continues to enjoy watching sports. Yet, as his life grows more complex, his interests more varied, and his relationships more intimate, Connell looks back on this earlier relationship to sports with a blend of nostalgia and disdain. He realizes that football was, for him, a designated realm in which emotion and intensity were openly expressed, in contrast to the repression that characterized his teenage years as a whole. Thus Connell's relationship to sports does not necessarily change greatly. Instead, the context in which that relationship exists evolves, making football a less extraordinary phenomenon for him.