Nimona

Unlike traditional Western fairytales that feature clear distinctions between good and evil, Nimona has moral dilemmas and characters express ethically ambivalent and even amoral attitudes. How do characters’ changing moral codes and attitudes provide a critique of the traditional Western fairytale’s binary morality and what does this critique suggest about people’s ability to adhere to strict moral codes?

• How does morality factor into characters’ motivations, and what might this suggest about the value of moral codes?
• To what extent is morality tied to recognized social roles and expectations, and why do the characters in these roles have trouble meeting the expectations?
• Where characters express morally ambivalent attitudes, what is the source of the ambivalence and how do they justify their choices?
• How does the Institution’s moral code contrast with Blackheart’s or Nimona’s moral code?
• What critique of morality does the comparison between various moral codes support?
• What are some drawbacks of having a strict moral code, and are there ways to be moral without a moral code?

Teaching Suggestion: During the discussion, students may benefit from having written copies of the questions to refer to. It may be beneficial for students to preview questions ahead of time to prepare in-depth answers and have textual evidence to support their answers.