A Court of Thorns and Roses

Read or listen to the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin. What elements of the story are not included or referenced in A Court of Thorns and Roses? For example, why do you think Maas chose not to include a pregnant heroine, which is an essential element of the ballad? Support your argument with evidence from the novel.

Feyre’s family experiences both wealth and poverty, and the High Fae have both power and wealth as the ruling class of Prythian. How does the novel portray wealth and explore class dynamics?

The high fantasy genre often engages questions about the nature of good and evil. How does Maas characterize evil in A Court of Thorns and Roses? Are characters purely good, purely evil, or a mix of both? Cite at least three examples from the text.

How does A Court of Thorns and Roses, which is the first novel in a series, function as an origin story for Feyre? Support your argument with examples from the text and your own research on the generic conventions of origin stories.

The novel features both explicit moments of sexual intimacy and sexual humiliation or threat. How does Maas portray the role of consent in sexual relationships? Cite at least five examples from the text.

The natural world is a source of both great beauty and great danger in the novel. Compare and contrast the relationships of at least three characters to nature, and explain what these different relationships suggest about nature in A Court of Thorns and Roses.

How does Feyre’s first-person perspective affect the reader’s experience of the novel’s many revelations and secrets? Examine at least three scenes that would significantly change if read from a different perspective.

Does Feyre’s and Tamlin’s relationship recreate or resist stereotypical gender roles? Support your argument with at least five citations from the text.