Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Define allegory, parable, and fable. What are the similarities and differences between them? What are some examples of each?

Teaching Suggestion: As this novel is an allegory, it can be useful to spend some time introducing students to that type of narrative. For example, you might explain that an allegory is a story with two levels of meaning—one that is literal, and an additional one that is often political, philosophical, or religious. Then, offer time to investigate the other genres and compile examples. Encourage students to focus their research to understand how allegories, parables, and fables each aim to illustrate lessons but do so through different strategies.

• This article helps distinguish among these three types of narratives.
• This resource page offers the definition, usage, and examples of allegory.

Short Activity

Working in small groups, visit “The Evacuated Children of the Second World War” resource from the Imperial War Museum and research the following questions:

• Why were children evacuated?
• Why did some families elect to stay in cities or return to them early?
• What was life like for children during the war?