The aim of the Close Reading series is to provide students with assignments that will help them to understand and respond to an unfamiliar text when reading it on their own in preparation for class or group discussion. It is thus hoped that these books will both save the teacher valuable time and stimulate lively discussion. Rather than spoonfeed the student, the writers of the books in this series have compiled questions based on extensive classroom experience that encourage the reader to think independently and respond sensitively to set texts without relying on summaries, character sketches, explanatory notes, etc. It is not intended that students should attempt detailed written answers to all the questions, though some assignments for extended writing are included; generally, answers can be prepared in note form to be used as a basis for class or group discussion, and as an aid for revision. Obviously the approach offered in this book, as illustrated by the questions, is not meant to be either prescriptive or definitive. If the questions, through their very incompleteness, provide a point of departure to fresh insights and increased appreciation of the novel, they will have achieved their purpose.