1. Fire is the Nargun's "dreaming;" stone is the Nyols'. The swamp is a "dreaming of many rivers." That all things have a "dreaming," an object of desire that is also their source, is an Aboriginal concept. What, do you think, is the dreaming of humans? Of Charlie and Edie?

2. Despite the fact that it nearly killed him twice, in the end Simon pities the Nargun. Why? How can he feel this way about a creature so terrible?

3. Critics have said, and Wrightson has confirmed, that her works tend increasingly to present the "other" point of view. How does this appear in The Nargun and the Stars, and what is its significance?

4. Does your community have local environmental problems that you are aware of? Is there a piece of wetlands or park under threat from developers? Is there a toxic waste dump nearby? How clean...