The Pale Horse

Show how Mark’s character develops over the course of the novel, as he eventually becomes the kind of person who will brave a ritual of witchcraft and possible death to bring criminals to justice.

Compare and contrast Hermia and Ginger both as individual women and as partners for Mark. Based on Mark’s character—both virtues and vices—does it seem that Mark makes the correct choice in Ginger?

Are all those involved with the deeds perpetrated by the Pale Horse— Osborne, Bradley, the women at the inn—equally guilty of the deaths of the victims, or are some more guilty than others?

Ariadne Oliver is frequently present at crucial moments in the story where a new clue is discovered or where a statement of hers proves to be fortuitous in the long run. Show how Mrs. Oliver provides the reader clues to the solution of the mystery provided at the end of the novel.

Is Lejeune a good detective, or does he just get lucky for being suspicious of Osborne from the start? Provide textual evidence for your answer.

Poppy Stirling is characterized by the author as another of David’s “extremely silly” and “half-witted” female companions (42). Is this a fair and honest characterization of her, or is the description a result of an unreliable narrative technique designed to distract the reader from the enormous amount of evidence that Poppy eventually hands over to Mark and Ginger?

Is The Pale Horse a novel about the intersection of science and superstition? If not, what function does the interplay of these two themes play in the narrative? If so, how does the author portray these two themes both positively and negatively?

In many other tales of magic, witchcraft, and superstition—especially in the same period as the author was writing—religion plays a vital role in the characters’ views of the matter. In this book, religion plays a relatively minor (almost non-existent) role. Is there any evidence within the text that would show why this is the case? If not, what takes the place of religion in the lives of the characters?