Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What are 3-5 reasons that setting is an important element in fiction? How might an author use the setting to drive the events of the plot or symbolize character growth?

Teaching Suggestion: This question will allow students to draw on their knowledge about foundational elements of storytelling and encourage them to expand their thinking by analyzing the function of narrative setting. Additionally, this question will prepare students to engage with The Importance of Place and Boundary in the novel as they investigate the role of the magical preserve setting as both symbol of and catalyst for the protagonists’ development.

In extended discussion, students might address the symbolism of the forest setting in fairy tales. Many traditional fairy tales like “Hansel and Gretel” or “Little Red Riding Hood” take place in the forest; this setting represents both danger and maturation, as it is here that the characters meet conflict and resolve it before emerging with new knowledge. Students may be prompted to brainstorm familiar fairy tales that take place in the woods and discuss how the setting helps the characters change or grow.