In what ways does Grandma Lausch serve as the first formative influence on Augie’s identity? How does her changing influence reflect Augie’s coming of age? Would the plot change if Augie never adopted other role models?

How does Augie grapple with the nature of fate? Does he take control of his destiny at any point?

How does Augie’s understanding of social class evolve over the course of the novel? How does Bellow integrate different theories about class in the text? For example, how does Augie’s union work and Leon Trotsky’s appearance affect the narrative?