Shrines of Gaiety is prefaced by an epigraph: “Every morning, every evening, Ain’t we got fun? Not much money, oh, but honey! Ain’t we got fun?” (1). Discuss the significance of the epigraph, considering the book’s thematic treatment of class distinctions.

The Corrupting and Dangerous Nature of Ambition is a central theme in the work. Discuss how Atkinson develops the narrative arc of one character in relation to ambition. Examples include Nellie (stealing the jewels to launch her club career); Ramsay (stealing Vivian Quinn’s manuscript to publish as his own); and Sergeant Maddox.

Shrines of Gaiety is set between two major world wars. Although the book focuses on the frivolity of post-WWI London, it does address the shadow of war. Discuss the war’s lingering impact, as seen in characters like Gwendolen and Niven. You might also consider the newspaper boy, Norman, who utters the book’s first words and is later killed in WWII.