1. Kirsten is the figure who takes action in "The Cat's-Eye." Without her there would be no story, yet she is a villainess who is penalized for her self-absorption. On the other hand, Jessica is fairly passive; her contribution to the story is primarily to offer faint resistance to Kirsten and to otherwise go along with what Kirsten chooses to do. Does this mean that inaction, staying within boundaries is good, whereas defiant action is bad?

2. The point-of-view character in a story is not always the main character, although he or she often is. For instance, in most of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, the point-of-view character is Doctor Watson, but Holmes is plainly the main character. In "The Cat's-Eye," is the point-of-view character Jessica the main character, or is Kirsten the main character? How can you tell?

3. Is what...