Though he only appears in the novel’s early episodes, Ransome makes an impact on David and appears in the narrator’s reflections later in the novel. Analyze the character of Ransome and explore the nature of his lasting effect on the protagonist.

Kidnapped was initially written as a serial. How might the genre expectations of the Victorian serial have influenced the structure, pacing, and story of the novel?

How does Kidnapped portray the relationship between personal ethics and social class? Explore these elements in at least one character from each class: working class, middle class, and gentry.

Alan Stewart and David Balfour are sometimes considered modern icons of Scottish unity. Analyze the cultural and symbolic significance of these characters in light of Scottish history.

Before his kidnapping, David is a country boy from the south of Scotland who never left his village. How does this background influence his initial experience of the Highlands? How does his perspective evolve through his adventure?

Compare and contrast David’s disenfranchisement to the plight of the Highlanders after the Jacobite rebellion. In what ways are they similar? How are they different?

Kidnapped incorporates the real-life events of the Appin murder and James Stewart’s execution. How does James Stewart’s trial and execution shape the novel’s thematic interest in Authority, Treachery, and Justice?

Alan and David’s relationship is an iconic representation of male friendship. Compare and contrast it to another literary example of male friendship such as in The Three Musketeers, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, or Of Mice and Men.