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A. S. Byatt, "The Thing in the Forest"

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Reading Questions

Text on p. 35 of the full Ninth Edition and p. 35 of the shorter Ninth Edition.

Reading Questions

1. The story begins, "There were once two little girls who saw, or believed they saw, a thing in the forest." Describe, in your own words, the "thing." Do you believe what they saw was "real"? What evidence is there in the story for that reality? Are there clues to suggest that it might not be real? Does the fairy-tale quality of the first sentence influence your reading of the story?

2. Did the first half of the story remind you of any of your own childhood fears or nightmares? Did you have a close childhood friend with whom you shared everything? Were you ever afraid and anxious but kept your thoughts to yourself?

3. Why do the women return to the forest as adults? What did you expect would happen when they returned? Were you disappointed by the outcome? Were the women disappointed by the outcome?

4. Byatt believes that a first reading of a story should be very fast and without judgment. In describing how she first reviews a book, she said, "I will make a note of what strikes me but I won't expect to have a thought." What struck you as you were reading "The Thing in the Forest"? Did you begin to make any judgments about the story?

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