Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2002

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Before You Read

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-15

Chapters 16-32

Chapters 33-48

Chapters 49-58

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Bear teaches Crispin to believe in individual choice and initiative, but he also sings a song about how fortune shapes outcomes (see Chapter 26 and Chapter 58). Is it possible to reconcile these two views? To what extent is the final outcome for Bear and Crispin a result of fortune, or chance, and to what extent is it a result of choices they made?

Bear teaches Crispin most of his core philosophies between Chapter 16 and Chapter 26. Identify one or more of the principles Bear teaches in these chapters, then consider whether and how Bear adheres to those principles throughout the novel.

How do the tone and diction of Crispin: The Cross of Lead create the impression of historical authenticity? Analyze several examples.