The Darkest Minds

One of the central themes of the novel is Fear and Betrayal of the Young. What warning does the novel offer about fear? Which characters and circumstances most clearly help to develop this warning in the novel? You might consider these questions as you prepare to discuss this topic.

• How do fear and betrayal work together?
• What are different characters afraid of and how does their worry and anxiety impact their decision-making?
• Does Clancy feel fear? How do you know?
• How do institutions such as the government, the education system, the CDC, and other groups react to fear?

Teaching Suggestion: Fear permeates the novel. It could be helpful to ask students to focus on specific sections of the novel and seek examples from each, and then find an overall answer to the larger question based on those pieces of support. Alternatively, students might discuss each important character by turn, then apply that process to the institutions in the novel. During the discussion, pausing for quick journal responses would provide students time to process their ideas individually and find additional evidence. Another approach might be to pause to take notes on the topic during the reading of the novel; students could then reflect more on these notes to develop their overarching analysis for this discussion.