Book 1 of Spirited Away sees Chihiro being separated from her parents as she proves herself to be wiser than them, but still in many ways young and naïve.

How do you think that Chihiro will be led to save her parents through the idea that Love Propels One Toward Bravery and Maturity? What do the consequences that Chihiro’s parents experience illustrate about The Dangers of Decadence and Greed? Finally, why do you think that Modern Humanity’s Abandonment of Spirituality and Nature might have something to do with the way the spirits respond to the humans’ presence? Consider what you have learned about Shintoism in answering this portion of the question.

Teaching Suggestion: In bringing together the themes of the story, students can make connections between the actions of humans and how the spirits/nature responds to these misdeeds. Encourage students to think about not only what they have read in Book 1 and learned through the paired resources, but also what they predict (or know) might happen in the following Books.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with processing challenges can be granted extra time to complete this analysis prompt, or they may be allowed to focus on one theme.