The Princess and the Goblin

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

The Princess and the Goblin was written during the Victorian era in England, which lasted from 1837-1901. What do you know about this time period? Consider the ways in which adults and children lived, the beliefs they might have had, the types of jobs common at this time, and anything else you might know about this era.

Teaching Suggestion: The links below can bolster in-class discussion or serve as supplementary material. However, students may have some ideas about life during this time period prior to doing any background reading based on their familiarity with American history; it may be worth reminding students that England relied heavily on coal and had a monarchy and deeply stratified class system at the time.

• “Social Class”: a brief article describing social class as it existed (and evolved) in Victorian England
• “Victorian London Photo Gallery”: a collection of photographs from the 1800s that provide a visual image of the era

Short Activity

One of the themes of The Princess and the Goblin is What It Means to Be a Princess. What do you think it means to be a princess or prince? Create a short poem describing the traits and attitudes that you believe a prince or princess should have. Plan to share your creative assignment with a classmate and discuss.

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to think outside the box in considering this question. Is a prince or princess simply about being royal, or something more? Is it a negative or a positive title to have, and why? What would they (the student) be like if they were a prince or princess? This is a casual assignment meant to encourage creative thinking and interest in the novel. These links offer describe the attributes of a real-life prince and princess.

• “Sophia Duleep Singh: Princess and Suffragette Inspires Children's Book”: article discussing Indian princess who fought for women’s rights in the early 1900s
• “Edward, the Black Prince” article detailing the accomplishments of a prince in England during the 1300s

Differentiation Suggestion: Visual learners might choose to create an illustration or comic strip (with or without dialogue) instead of a poem.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Now that you have learned about the Victorian era and what life was like for people of that time period, would you want to have lived then? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion:  This question opens up several different avenues of discussion, so you may find it helpful to consider your particular students’ age and interests. For example, younger students might focus on the technology that was not available in the 19th century—from smartphones to running water. More mature students might consider the political ramifications of life in the Victorian era—e.g., the greater degree of gender and racial inequality. Students of all ages may struggle to come up with benefits to living in an earlier time period, but doing so can be a useful way of reflecting on the shortcomings of one’s own era.