92 pages • 3 hours read
Susan CooperThe Dark Is Rising
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1973A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Light and dark are such common symbols of good and evil that we accept them almost without thinking about it. How does the motif of light and dark function in The Dark Is Rising? Is there anything unexpected about the way Cooper uses the imagery?
Compare Will’s becoming an Old One to Coming-of-Age As a Leap Into the Adult World. How is his inner journey like or unlike growing up in the real world?
Are the agents of the Light truly good? When might it be morally justified to sacrifice one person to save many?
Choose one of the mythological figures from The Dark Is Rising and research their origins and symbolic significance. How does their inclusion in the novel contribute to its meaning? Does Cooper adapt the figure to suit the novel’s particular mythology?
In what ways does the battle of the Light and Dark reflect the author’s experience as a child during World War II? Trace the connections.
Hawkin is one of the novel’s more morally complex characters. What does his storyline suggest about humanity’s place in a world where Dark May Be Evil but Good Is Not Nice?
Hawkin is one of the novel’s more morally complex characters. What does his storyline suggest about humanity’s place in a world where Dark May Be Evil but Good Is Not Nice?
What examples of foreshadowing exist in the story? What purpose do they serve?
How do themes of light and dark relate to midwinter celebrations?
What are some of the seasonal traditions in the story? What might be the appeal of those rituals to people who have grown cynical about our present-day holiday season?
Related Titles
By Susan Cooper
