71 pages • 2 hours read
Robert JordanThe Great Hunt
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1990A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
One of the driving themes of the story is balance. How does the narrative exemplify this theme? What are some physical symbols of balance in the book?
How does Rand try to disavow his destiny despite all signs and portents pointing to it? Why does he do this?
Gender roles in the story are often rigidly enforced. What are some examples of women fulfilling traditional female roles? What are some ways in which Jordan subverts those traditions?
Jordan plays with the idea of fate versus free will. How does that idea manifest itself with regard to Rand? Does the narrative make an argument for one over the other? Explain.
The Wheel of Time series is imbued with a deep sense of history. What are some examples of how Jordan creates the passage of time, and what does it add to the narrative? How would his world be different without that profound sense of the past?
The True Source has a male and female half. How do those differences manifest in those who channel the Power? What statement might Jordan be making about how each gender handles power and responsibility?
What are some ways the sul’dam inflict punishment, both physical and psychological, on their damane? What is the ultimate purpose of this psychological abuse?
Religious fundamentalists use their perceived moral high ground to justify all manner of violence. In what ways do the Children of the Light fit this description? What are some examples of this kind of fundamentalism in human history?
In what ways does The Great Hunt function as a religious allegory?
Jordan’s world is imbued with a melancholy longing for the past and a sense that much of the greatness of the world is fading. In the Ogier culture, one example is found in the lack of treesingers, a skill that is rare now. What are some other examples of fading magic? What does this sense of longing for the past add to the narrative?
