The Borrowers

How does The Borrowers draw upon the long traditions of historic British folklore, especially on the topic of miniature people? Find and analyze at least three different examples from the text that invoke such folklore.

Compare and contrast The Borrowers to The Littles, a 1967 book about a miniature family by American author John Peterson. Do you think The Borrowers influenced this later work of fiction, and if so, which elements are most evident in Peterson’s novel?

How does Norton use figurative language to establish the Borrowers’ world in the reader’s mind? In addition to metaphor, does she employ any additional figurative language to paint a vivid picture of the Borrowers’ lifestyle? Choose three to four examples from the story to examine in more detail.