The Ogress and the Orphans

Whether in the form of actual books or oral tales told by one person to another, stories are featured throughout The Ogress and The Orphans. Reflect upon the moments in the novel when books and stories are especially significant, particularly those moments that are important to the plot. What different ideas do books and stories represent in The Ogress and the Orphan? Consider the multiple meanings that books and stories have throughout the novel. What do they symbolize? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: Books and stories as motifs in the novel support the development of the themes Judgment Does Not Give Us Information and Facts Matter. One of the most significant elements of the novel is the Library, whose burning down instigates the period of difficulty in Stone-in-the-Glen. Without the Library, people stopped sharing ideas; without books to read, people no longer recalled how to be a community. Books therefore come to symbolize how reading expands our minds so we can share ideas and become better people; they represent an antidote to prejudice and misinformation. Books and stories allegorically represent the culture and history of a place, which also contributes to the townspeople’s sense of community. The tales of the stone are the best representation of this; their importance is evidenced in how the Mayor attempts to hide the stone in Chapter 7.