Fourth Wing

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How does Violet’s transformation from scribe to dragon rider demonstrate different aspects of her character? Which of Violet’s qualities remain the same, and which new qualities emerge as she becomes a skilled dragon rider?
• Basgaith War College is an inherently dangerous place, preparing young adults for war. How does the setting intensify the novel and the characters’ relationships, particularly between the riders? How are alliances and friendships magnified because of the setting?
• How does Fourth Wing’s lethal environment compare with other popular works like The Hunger Games? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Violet is forced to prove her strength to the people who doubt her. Consider a moment in your life when you have overcome others’ expectations of you, whether physically or emotionally, by relying on your own strength. How did your experience compare to Violet’s?
• Violet’s relationships with Dain and Xaden are complex and shifting. Consider relationships in which you have had to rely on someone despite being unsure of their trustworthiness. Did these relationships end in betrayal or loyalty? What did you learn from these experiences?
• What parallels can be drawn between Basgaith War College and real-life settings of competition, like high school or college? When have you experienced tension like Violet, and how did you overcome it? Does your survival technique overlap with Violet’s?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• What does the novel suggest about the relationship between perceived lack of physical strength and bullying? In what ways does the novel call for a reexamination of stereotypical depictions of strength through Violet’s character?
• Consider the rebel’s children and their life debt. What does this forced position as fighters suggest about the nature of generational guilt and the inheritance of parents’ punishments?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Violet is initially defined by her perceived physical weakness. How does her personality reveal her strength? Is Xaden’s nickname for her—Violence—a representation of his admiration for her skill as a dragon rider? How can this nickname be both a compliment and an insult?
• Trace the themes of power, loyalty, and betrayal throughout Fourth Wing. What key moments between members of the Rider Quadrant demonstrate unexpected shifts in these themes? 
• What does Violet’s double bond with both Tairn and Andarna tell us about her potential as a dragon rider? How is this double bond also a double-edged sword, offering power but inviting envy and violence?
• How does Dain challenge the literary depiction of the hero who saves the woman he loves? Trace the course of his falling out with Violet due to his overprotectiveness. 

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• What kind of dragon would you choose if you were a rider, and what signet or skill would you wish for? How would your relationship with your dragon compare to familial, romantic, and platonic relationships given that your life would be intertwined with your dragon’s fate?
• How might Violet’s story differ if she had caved to Dain’s overprotection and pursued a relationship with him? Would she have remained safe? Do you think she would have eventually felt fulfilled if she’d become a scribe, as Dain wished?

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