The Borrowers

Compare and contrast The Borrowers to The Littles, a 1967 book about a miniature family by American author John Peterson. Do you think The Borrowers influenced this later work of fiction, and if so, which elements are most evident in Peterson’s novel?

How does Norton use figurative language to establish the Borrowers’ world in the reader’s mind? In addition to metaphor, does she employ any additional figurative language to paint a vivid picture of the Borrowers’ lifestyle? Choose three to four examples from the story to examine in more detail.

How do the boy and Mrs. Driver embody different human tendencies? Choose at least two specific actions of each character to illustrate your point.

How is the very human notion of class and status reflected in the novel? Choose two examples from the humans’ interactions and two examples from the Borrowers’ family history to prove your point.

The Borrowers can easily be classified as a coming-of-age novel. In what specific ways do certain characters learn, grow, and mature throughout the novel?

How does the frame story work within The Borrowers? What roles do Kate and Mrs. May serve within the novel as a whole, and how do their perspectives change your view of the story?

The Borrowers is the first in a series, with the final book released in 1982. Compare this book to the others in the series. Do the different historical events that occur during this extended range of time have an effect on the content of the other books in the series? Choose at least two plot elements of the subsequent novels and discuss how real-life historical events are reflected within them.

How does the Borrower world mirror aspects of the human world within the book? How are the two worlds different?