82 pages • 2 hours read
Scott WesterfeldLeviathan
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
What is a morganatic marriage? How did the morganatic marriage between Archduke Ferdinand and Princess Sophie impact Alek’s inheritance and his understanding of his identity?
How do social conventions inhibit Deryn from following her dreams? How does she circumvent these social conventions? Can you imagine another path forward given her society’s circumstances?
How does Dr. Barlow’s familial connection to Charles Darwin give her more power and privilege than other women in her day? Do you see parallels between her situation and other eras or figures in women’s history?
Explain how Alek and Volger have different perceptions of what is right and how this impacts their relationship.
How does Alek’s visit to Lienz change his view of himself and the common people?
How do you think Deryn’s secret will influence her relationship with Alek? How do you think Deryn’s secrets will affect the plots of Leviathan’s sequels?
How does Deryn’s perception of what is right change over the course of the story?
How does the Leviathan come to represent the theme of Resolving Differences Between Competing Groups?
Why did Volger pretend to despise Alek’s common blood? How did this influence their relationship? Do you think Volger’s methods of instruction and discipline were more effective than Klopp’s? Why or why not?
What was Dr. Barlow’s secret cargo, and how does she plan on using it to correct Winston Churchill’s diplomatic disaster? Given the book’s themes, what might the eggs represent, and what role do you think they’ll play in the trilogy?
Related Titles
By Scott Westerfeld
