49 pages • 1 hour read
E. B. WhiteA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Many tasks that are easy for regular-sized people are difficult for Stuart. List some of these tasks and describe how Stuart deals with them. What are some other ways he could have solved these problems?
Stuart is notably very different from almost everyone else in his world. Through Stuart, what does White say about being different? What does Stuart represent in terms of facing challenges?
Though Stuart must often rely on others because of his size, he is very independent. What are some ways Stuart’s world could be changed to help him without making him rely on other people? What are some ways the real world could be changed to help others while keeping their independence?
Stuart often lives out the childlike fantasies of adults like his father and Doctor Carey. However, Stuart’s story is a coming-of-age tale; he sometimes acts like a wise adult, such as when he tells the schoolchildren to treasure their summer memories. What does this say about childhood and adulthood? Can the two—responsibility and adventure—coexist, or must one be chosen over the other?
Stuart often engages in role-playing, acting as a sailor or a schoolteacher. Why does the episode with Harriet and the canoe go so badly when his other adventures seem to go so well?
Compare Stuart Little to another children’s book, one that you think is similar or very different. What ideas do they have in common and how are they different? What do you think makes this book special?
The author said in a letter to his editor, “[This story] would seem to be for children, but I’m not fussy who reads it.” Does the story say something different for adults than it does for children? How do you think children and adults might experience the story differently?
What is Stuart searching for? What does Margalo represent for him?
While many Western narratives have concrete endings, Stuart Little’s ending is ambiguous. Why do you think White left it open this way? How do you imagine Stuart’s journey ending?
By E. B. White