Under the Volcano

Each of the chapters of Under the Volcano follows one of the four main characters. These chapters not only follow the plot but feature flashbacks to the characters’ pasts and feature their own internal thoughts and feelings. Compare and contrast the unique attributes of each characters’ chapters.

Discuss the ways in which Malcolm Lowry depicts intoxication in the narrative style of the Consul’s chapters. What literary devices does he use and how are they able to mimic intoxication?

Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl are the two volcanoes that overlook the town of Quauhnahuac in Under the Volcano and are featured prominently in the novel. What do they represent and how do they help the characters process their conflicting feelings?