How Class and Privilege Shape Guilt and Innocence at Granby

Introduction: The Thematic Claim

In I Have Some Questions for You, Rebecca Makkai argues that class and privilege determine not only who is believed but also who is protected and who is scapegoated when a crime occurs within an elite institution. At Granby School, economic and social divides run beneath every interaction, shaping memories, alibis, and the official narrative of Thalia Keith’s murder. The novel exposes how the same system that elevates certain students and faculty shields them from suspicion while casting outsiders—especially those without wealth or social connections—as the obvious villains. Through protagonist Bodie Kane’s return to campus, the reader sees how class shame, secret histories, and institutional self-preservation conspire to conceal the truth for more than two decades.

Bodie’s Own Class Journey

Bodie’s experience at Granby is defined by her status as a scholarship student from a poor Indiana town. The evidence reveals that she polished a defensive speech: “It’s an amazing school. Coming here on scholarship changed my life” – a lie “only technically,” as she acknowledges (chapter 4). This performance of gratitude masks the daily humiliations she endured. One vivid memory involves a sophomore mocking her secondhand J.Crew skirt, saying, “Oh my God, I remember those skirts! Those are from, like, eighth grade!” (chapter 5). The skirt was one of the newest things Bodie owned; her classmates could date it to a past sale, exposing her poverty.

Bodie’s habit of eavesdropping on pay‑phone conversations (chapter 2) is a direct consequence of her class vulnerability. She collected information about peers “to feel less vulnerable,” hoping to become “more like them, less like myself—less poor, less clueless, less provincial.” This power‑imbalance echoes throughout the novel: the wealthy students own the social currency, while Bodie must secretly gather scraps to survive. Her survival tactic also mirrors the investigation into Thalia’s death, where the truth is hidden behind the privileges of those with the most to lose.

The Class Narrative of the Murder

The central murder case revolves around Omar Evans, a Black man from a working‑class background, who was convicted largely because the media and law enforcement accepted a convenient narrative. In chapter 33 (as retrieved), Bodie discovers through online research that Robbie Serenho, Thalia’s boyfriend, was actually from a Portuguese working‑class family. His father, Roberto Ademar Serenho, worked as an electrician and was a volunteer firefighter; Robbie himself became a financial planner. Yet every article about Thalia’s death “had fixated on how Thalia and Robbie were the perfect prep school couple, moneyed and talented and privileged, and Omar Evans—no mention of his mother working at Dartmouth—was this outsider. That made the best narrative.”

This reversal reveals how class performance, not reality, drives suspicion. Robbie accessorized the “perfect prep school couple” image, while Omar’s outsider status made him an easier target. The school’s institutional privilege protected Robbie from scrutiny, even though Bodie later comes to suspect Robbie’s controlling behavior and possible knowledge of Thalia’s secret relationship with a teacher. The evidence from chapter 26 (Bodie’s direct questions to the “you” figure) suggests that the adult closest to Thalia—likely music teacher Denny Bloch—may have known that Robbie had a motive but stayed silent to protect himself. The class privilege of the faculty member allowed him to maintain his career and marriage while Omar spent decades in prison.

Faculty Privilege and the Unseen Perpetrator

The “you” that Bodie addresses throughout the narrative is gradually revealed to be Denny Bloch, the music teacher who had an inappropriate relationship with Thalia. The evidence from chapter 26 shows Bodie asking: “Did you know it was Robbie?” and “Did you accept that job in Bulgaria before Thalia died?” This figure embodies the intersection of gender, age, and institutional status. As a beloved teacher who transformed the music program, Bloch enjoyed the protection of Granby’s administration. Bodie notes: “If you had done the difficult work of adulthood and intervened—what then? Would she have lived?” – a direct accusation that his privilege allowed him to avoid responsibility.

The flask appears in Bodie’s memory of Beth Docherty holding it during the Camelot video, symbolizing the casual rule‑breaking that wealthier students could get away with. Similarly, the planner dots (which mark Thalia’s schedule) and the athletic shed (where evidence may have been hidden) represent how the physical space of Granby is layered with secrets that privilege obscures. The fireflies that Bodie recalls from her rowing days suggest fleeting moments of truth that cannot be captured, much like the truth about Thalia’s death.

Complexity and Contradictions

Makkai does not present a simple dichotomy of rich versus poor. Bodie herself, despite her class shame, has achieved professional success and now moves in privileged circles. She acknowledges that many of her wealthy classmates “almost all seemed lovely” when she looks them up online (chapter 33). The novel complicates the idea that privilege is an exclusive property of the elite; instead, it shows how class is performed and how even those from modest backgrounds can adopt the trappings of privilege. Robbie Serenho’s online persona—with beach photos, an “I’m With Her” T‑shirt, and a literacy fundraiser—makes him appear as “my kind of person” to Bodie, blurring the lines.

Moreover, the faculty members like Priscilla Mancio and the new web design teacher perpetuate class inequality through mundane comments. When Priscilla says Bodie looks “so much prettier” now, she reveals the social judgment that has followed Bodie for decades. The Fran Hoffbart character, as a “faculty brat,” occupies a middle ground—privileged within the school but not wealthy. Fran’s family experiences the same institutional pressures but from a different angle.

The novel also questions whether justice can ever be separated from class. Bodie’s own investigation is partly motivated by ego and the chance to see her lover Yahav, as she admits in chapter 2. Her podcast success has given her a platform that working‑class Omar never had. The retrial motion is denied; the system fails again. Yet the final chapters suggest a fragile hope: Bodie scatters Carlotta’s ashes, observes spring growth, and reflects on the plants she learned in Dana Ramos’s class—a small reclaiming of the natural world that Granby’s privilege tried to control.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Bodie’s class background affect her perception of the murder investigation?
   Bodie’s own experience of class shame makes her sensitive to the ways privilege distorts justice. She initially accepts the official narrative (Omar as guilty) because it aligns with the “outsider” trope, but her personal history of being underestimated and mocked allows her to question that narrative and look for the real perpetrator within the privileged inner circle.

2. In what ways does the media’s portrayal of Omar Evans versus Robbie Serenho reflect class bias?
   The media framed Thalia and Robbie as “the perfect prep school couple” because Robbie’s social performance (financial planner, family photos) matched the elite stereotype, while Omar’s dark skin and unnamed mother were used to cast him as the threatening outsider. This bias protected Robbie from suspicion and made Omar a convenient scapegoat.

3. What role does faculty privilege play in protecting Denny Bloch?
   As a beloved music teacher, Denny Bloch was trusted by the school administration and insulated from scrutiny. The evidence suggests he may have known Robbie was the killer but stayed silent to protect his career and marriage. Bodie’s direct questions in chapter 26 imply that his adult authority allowed him to avoid the consequences that a student or outsider would face.

4. How do symbols like the flask and the athletic shed reinforce the theme of class and privilege?
   The flask represents the casual rule‑breaking that wealthy students can afford to engage in without serious punishment. The athletic shed, where Thalia may have died, is a hidden space where violence can occur away from official oversight, much like the way privilege allows certain individuals to operate beyond accountability. Both symbols show how the physical environment of Granby encodes class divisions.

5. Does the novel suggest that justice is possible within an unequal system?
   Not entirely. Omar’s motion for retrial is denied, and the true perpetrator remains free. However, Bodie’s decision to confront the truth and the community’s renewed interest (seen in Dane Rubra’s video) indicate a shift. The novel leaves open the possibility that continued questioning and exposure—by those who have gained some measure of power—can gradually erode the walls that privilege builds. The final image of spring growth offers a tentative hope for renewal, even if full justice remains elusive.