The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet

Identify at least three similarities between Droon and the Upper World. How do these similarities echo the traditional conventions of portal fantasies?

How does the author use vivid imagery of light and dark to emphasize the ongoing battle between good and evil?

How do the three friends’ adventures in Droon compare to the experiences of other portal-fantasy protagonists, such as Milo in Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth (1961)?

How does Eric’s personality evolve once he is in Droon? What message does this send about the relationship between circumstances and the development of true heroism?

How do Julie and Neal function as foils? How do their decisions and behaviors highlight Eric’s key traits?

A character that is a cross between a troll and a spider might be cast as a villain in some stories. How does the author counter Max’s seemingly monstrous appearance to indicate that the spider-troll is in fact a friend?

As the story’s villain, Lord Sparr is depicted in consistently ominous tones. What language and details in the story portray him also give him a rather comical characterization?

Eric’s experiences align with some of the tropes of the archetypal “hero’s journey.” Research this pattern and decide which parts of The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet conform to this structure.