As messed up as they may seem, much of Tropic of Cancer about Henry's friendships with other expatriates, oddballs, and artists. These guys all support each other's (not-so-healthy) lifestyles through conversation, resources, and loans. If it weren't for his friends, Miller wouldn't eat, writer, or probably be alive for that matter. According to biographers, some of these friends were based on real-life relationships that author Henry Miller had, which makes you wonder—when are we field tripping to Paris to meet these folks?
Questions About Friendship
- What exactly does friendship mean to Henry? How does Henry treat his friends? How do they treat him?
- Does Henry have any female friends? Could he?
- What is it about Paris that allows people like Henry and his friends to thrive? Would they be able to form the same connections elsewhere?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Henry may act like all of his friends are jerks, but deep down he really cares about them.
Henry's friends really come to the rescue. Without them, he'd probably be dead.