The Coven

What methods does Harper L. Woods use to hint at the truth of Gray’s real identity? Identify and analyze at least three different examples from the text.

Research the history of witch hunts in Salem, Massachusetts. How does Woods draw upon this history to further develop the witches’ community of Hollow’s Grove?

Research the hidden meanings associated with characters’ names, including Flora, Willow, Ash, Samuel, Alaric (Gray), Madizza, and Hecate. How do the etymological origins of these names shed light on Woods’s characters? How does the author use these details to foreshadow a character’s personality, downfall, or success?

How does the novel both empower and disempower women? In your response, be sure to consider Woods’s conformity to (and subversion of) the tropes of gothic romance.

Consider Woods’s choice to alternate between two first-person narrators (Willow and Gray). How might the narrative change if Woods had employed a third-person omniscient perspective and provided access to the thoughts of minor characters as well?

Does Woods create a sympathetic portrayal of Gray? Why or why not? Present three reasons for your interpretation, using textual evidence to support your position.

Who or what is the antagonist in the novel? How do you know? Be sure to identify the novel’s climax in your response, as this moment illustrates the moment of highest tension between Willow and her antagonist.

Trace the novel’s allusions to Judeo-Christian and Greek mythology, analyzing the implications that each allusion holds for the novel’s world and characters. Why would Woods choose to rely on both monotheism and paganism, when these forms of faith are often seen as mutually exclusive?