A Court of Thorns and Roses

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Describe and analyze the prevalence of self-sacrifice for love and/or loved ones as portrayed in literature, movies, culture, or history. How might real life acts of loving sacrifice have been adopted into media culture?

Teaching Suggestion: This question will lead into the theme of Sacrifice and Moral Compromise as the Duty of Love. It may help to consider the distinction between “sacrifice” and “self-sacrifice,” primarily as it pertains to love, care, and empathy. If students are struggling to identify examples, consider splitting the class into four groups (literature, movies, culture, and history) to brainstorm a list to bring back to the whole class. From there, students may use the ideas from their peers to help answer the second half of the question.

• This compilation from Goodreads includes thought-provoking quotes about sacrifice.
• “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls is a song about sacrificing self-identity for love.

2. Explain the importance of consent in both emotional and physical intimacy with a partner. What role does trust play in these relationships?