47 pages 1 hour read

Charles Dickens

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1870

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Essay Topics

1.

How does Dickens create an atmosphere of dread and foreboding in the lead up to Edwin’s disappearance? Which plot events seem like they may have gone on to have significance in the subsequent mystery? What is the significance of the Cloisterham setting?

2.

Why are Rosa and Edwin ill-suited for one another? Why do you think their fathers originally wanted them to marry? Why does it take Rosa so long to finally clarify that they are not legally obligated to marry one another?

3.

In what ways are Neville and his sister Helena similar, and in what ways are they different? Why do Neville and Edwin struggle to get along? Why does Reverend Crisparkle bond with Neville, and why does he always believe the best about the younger man?