Trust

Each of the four books in Trust presents its own narrative, its own truth. These narratives compete with each other as each subsequent books upends the reality established in the preceding book(s). Is there a significance to the order in which the books appear? How does the order affect how you view the preceding books?

Trust features an unconventional structure that calls attention to the artificiality of narrative. What are the thematic implications of this unconventional structure—what point is Diaz making in highlighting this artificiality? Consider the interplay of different genres, including narrative fiction, autobiography/memoir, and diary.

Consider the use of literary devices such as omission, stream of consciousness, and rhetoric in My Life and Futures. Does the unpolished, unfinished style of these books make them feel more or less trustworthy than the other two books? Why?