Scarlet Morning

Discuss the world-building and setting of the narrative. How do they contribute to the tone, plot, and/or themes? In what ways is the setting an active element of the story?

In what ways does the motif of names impact the narrative and contribute to the novel’s thematic exploration of The Relationship Between Story and Truth? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Who or what is the antagonist of the novel? What is the primary conflict? How does this conflict introduce the novel’s thematic engagement with The Burdens of Inherited Failure?

What is the Silver Circle, and what is its significance in the novel? What does it symbolize, and how does Stevenson use it to move the plot forward?

Discuss the symbolic significance of salt in the novel. What does Chase mean when she says that “salt preserves, just as salt destroys” (162)? How does the symbolism of salt evolve across the narrative?

Discuss the Book and its author, Alias Crowe. What is the significance of the Book to the narrative as a plot device? What distinctions does Stevenson draw in the novel between the written word and stories passed down through oral tradition? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

The narrative grapples with the concepts of objective and subjective truth and argues that stories have power. What message does the novel ultimately convey about the relationship between story and truth?

According to the novel, who is responsible for the “ruins of [the] world” (385) in Dickerson’s Sea, and who is responsible for fixing it? Why does Viola voluntarily accept that responsibility, and what, if anything, makes her the right person to do so?