The Tale of Despereaux

Explore the author’s use of wants and desires in the novel. How are the characters each motivated by their own desires? Why do their desires have a tendency to make them oblivious to the truth? How do the characters’ pursuit of desires have both positive and negative outcomes?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it beneficial to analyze the questions by first determining the characters who feel a strong desire for something and the possible reason those desires exist. Students can then compare how each of the characters is made oblivious by their desires and what the outcome is for each.

Differentiation Suggestion: English learners may benefit by accessing a visual approach to the questions. Consider asking students to organize the prompt into a 3-column chart with (character desires/“blind spots”/outcomes) as headers. It may be helpful for students to work in small groups to complete the chart. Students can generate ideas with one person writing/dictating their assessments.