Stardust

Stardust

• Genre: Fiction; young adult fantasy
• Originally Published: 1999
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 970L; grades 7-12
• Structure/Length: 10 chapters with epilogue; approx. 248 pages; approx. 6 hours, 23 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Protagonist Tristran Thorn must prove his worth to earn the hand of his beloved, Victoria Forester. To do so, he promises her a fallen star and must travel beyond the wall that separates his village from danger and the unknown.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Graphic sexual content

Neil Gaiman, Author

• Bio: Born in Hampshire, England, in 1960; an early reader and lover of fantasy, especially Tolkien and C. S. Lewis; pursued journalism as an early career; inspired to write comics and comic scripts by Alan Moore (Swamp Thing); went on to write comics for DC, Marvel, and other publications; first novel (Good Omens; 1990) was a collaboration with Terry Pratchett; first met with big success with American Gods (2001); participates in radio and public readings and pursues screenwriting and audiobook projects
• Other Works: American Gods (2001); Coraline (2002); The Graveyard Book (2008); The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013)
• Awards: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (1999); ALA Alex Award (2000)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Love, Infatuation, and Desire
• Freedom and Restriction
• Physical and Spiritual Transformation

STUDY OBJECTIVES:  In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Explore common fairy-tale motifs using scholarly research and become familiar with the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index to situate the reader in the literary and genre context of the novel.
• Develop an understanding of classic story archetypes, including Joseph Campbell’s “monomyth,” or the “Hero’s Journey.”
• Creatively approach the many incarnations of fairies and fairyland across classic art and literature.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Tristran’s archetypal “Hero’s Journey,” family relationships, and other topics.