The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

To the authorities, Robin Hood is a criminal and a social menace, but to the common people, he is a hero and a force for good. How do you view him? How would someone like Robin Hood be treated today?

Pyle creates a distinctive speech idiom for his characters and sometimes for the narration. How does this dialect contribute to the setting and atmosphere of the book? Do you find it effective? Why or why not?

Robin Hood’s girlfriend Maid Marian appears prominently in many adaptations of Robin Hood but is only given a few cursory mentions in Pyle’s book. Why might this be? In your view, does the scarcity of female characters affect the book, either positively or negatively?

What qualities does Little John have that make him suitable as Robin’s right-hand man?

Do you see the structure of the book as episodic, or is there a larger plan to the narrative? Cite some relevant chapters or episodes.

Is Robin’s behavior wholly altruistic, or are there times when he is self-centered? Cite examples, if any.

Pyle opens Part 5, Chapter 1 with an elaborate description of nature and the changing seasons. Why might he have chosen to do this as precisely that juncture? What purpose does this descriptive passage serve?

In what ways does Robin Hood change throughout the course of the book?