The Graveyard Book

How is the setting of a graveyard surprisingly appropriate for a bildungsroman?

• What are some unique characteristics of a graveyard that make it a good place to learn lessons about life?
• How does Gaiman’s depiction of this setting show that it is a rich and complex place?
• What are some lessons that Bod learns because the setting is a graveyard?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt asks students to apply what they have learned about the bildungsroman to an analysis of the book’s setting. The first sub-question can be answered without reference to the text, but the second and third require students to locate evidence related to setting, characterization, and plot. You might ask students to answer the first sub-question quickly, in a whole-class discussion, and then allow them to gather evidence before they attempt the rest. If time is a concern, half the students might find evidence related to setting, and half might find evidence related to characterization and plot. They could then share their evidence through whole-class or small-group discussion. If you would like written answers to this prompt, students might follow this discussion with a reflective paragraph based on these discussions.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who struggle with reading fluency, attention, or organization may find gathering evidence from the entire text to be an unreasonable burden.