At one point in the story Braggioni tells Laura, "We are more alike than you realize in some things." Are these two contrasting characters at all alike? Find some descriptions of Braggioni and Laura from the text to support your ideas about the characters.

Porter concludes "Flowering Judas" with a strange and complicated dream. How does the dream connect to themes, images, and issues raised earlier in the story? To what extent does it offer a resolution?

Research the role that Judas Iscariot plays in the New Testament. How does his background and relationship to Jesus reflect on the themes of faith and betrayal in the story?

Research the role of Catholicism in Mexican culture and the role of the Catholic Church in the Mexican Revolution. How does this historical context enrich your reading of the story?

Braggioni finds Laura's political commitment...