The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More

What age level do you think these stories are written for? Develop an argument for whether these stories should be introduced to children.

Discuss the role of morality in Dahl’s work. In what ways does the collection’s moral compass contribute to its underlying themes? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Compare and contrast the antagonists in the stories in this collection. How does Dahl use each antagonist to develop the themes of Kindness and Cruelty or Greed and Generosity?

What rhetorical tools does Dahl employ in the stories in this collection to reveal their historical and social context? Does the narrative lens of Dahl’s collection project colonialist themes? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

How and why is Henry Sugar transformed in Dahl’s story? What lesson does Dahl hope readers will take from his story?

Discuss Dahl’s engagement with the theme of greed in the stories in this collection. How does that engagement differ in the fictional stories versus the autobiographical essays about Dahl’s personal history?

How did World War II influence the stories Dahl wrote? What evidence of Dahl’s experiences in the war filters into his novels and short stories? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

In the story “The Swan,” the narrator reveals that one of Peter’s abusers lives in a violent home. In what ways does the collection explore the cyclical nature of violence?