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1. How would you describe the mood or atmosphere in the opening of the novel?

The atmosphere in the opening of the novel is dark and menacing. The main narrative opens in Chapter 2 on the Day of Sacrifice, when the populace of the Protectorate take the youngest child in the city to sacrifice it to a Witch in the forest.

2. From what narrative point of view is Chapter 1 related? How is this point of view established?

The narrative in Chapter 1, as in several others in the novel, is typed in italics and comes from a first-person perspective of a mother telling her child a story about the Witch. This becomes apparent by her insistence that the child stop squirming and asking questions.

3. Where is the Protectorate located? Why is its setting important?

The Protectorate is located in a remote area from other city-states. On one side of the Protectorate there is a massive Bog. On the other side there is a forest that is considered evil. This forest plays a large part in the novel's plot.

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