How does the reciprocal exchange of expertise between Barney and Stig challenge the conventional dichotomy between ‘civilized’ and ‘primitive’ worldviews? To what extent does the novel reinforce or challenge stereotypical depictions of prehistoric people?

In Chapter 4, the narrative briefly shifts from Barney’s perspective to Lou’s during the fox hunt. Analyze the structural significance of this choice. How does this external viewpoint reinforce the novel’s thematic concerns?

Discuss how the specific geological and archaeological features of the Kentish chalk downs, as described in the guide’s background section, function as more than just a setting. How does Clive King use the landscape itself to blur the lines between past and present, making Stig’s existence feel plausible within a realistic world?

While the friendship between Barney and Stig is celebrated for transcending language, analyze the moments of miscommunication or conflicting perspectives, such as during the fox hunt or when Stig initially misunderstands modern objects. What do these instances reveal about the limitations of a purely action-based relationship?

Stig of the Dump can be read within a tradition of British children’s literature, such as The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, where young protagonists discover a secret, magical world hidden from adults. How does King’s novel both conform to and subvert the conventions of this “secret world” narrative, particularly in its grounding of fantasy in a mundane, real-world setting like a rubbish dump?

Compare Stig of the Dump to Philippa Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden. How do both novels use time-slip narratives to encourage young readers to imagine and emotionally engage with the past?

How does the novel use the conflicts with the Snargets and the burglars to test the moral and practical applications of Stig’s prehistoric worldview in a modern context?

How does the novel engage with ideas associated with archaeology and the reconstruction of the past? Consider how imagination, play, and storytelling function as tools for interpreting history.