Howl’s Moving Castle

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1986

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

Introduction

Teacher Introduction

Howl's Moving Castle

Genre: Fiction; fantasy; young adult
Originally Published: 1986
Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 800L; grades 6-9
Structure/Length: 21 chapters; 448 pages; approximately 8 hours and 34 minutes on audiobook
Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel revolves around Sophie Hatter, a young woman cursed by a witch to live in the body of an old woman. She becomes the housekeeper for the Wizard Howl and lives in his moving castle, seeking to break her curse. The central conflict emerges as Sophie navigates the magical world, faces the Witch of the Waste, and uncovers Howl's secrets.
Potential Sensitivity Issues: Fantasy violence; magic and witchcraft; mild romantic elements

Diana Wynne Jones, Author

Bio: Born 1934; died 2011; British author known for her work in fantasy novels for children and adults; studied at St Anne's College, Oxford; wrote over 40 books; recognized as a significant figure in the development of modern fantasy literature.
Other Works: Charmed Life (1977); Archer's Goon (1984); The Lives of Christopher Chant (1988); The Dark Lord of Derkholm (1998)
Awards: Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book (1986); Phoenix Award (2006)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

Age and Moral Growth
Compensation and Exploitation
Identity

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Guide, students will:

Explore background information on the conventions of fantasy—subverting these conventions—and intertextuality to increase their engagement with and understanding of Howl’s Moving Castle.
Read/study short, paired texts and other resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Age and Moral Growth, Compensation and Exploitation, and Identity.
Explore the motif of the power of words in Howl’s Moving Castle by using a poem to create their own “enchanted” object for one of the novel’s characters.
Analyze the significance of various elements of the novel, such as setting, allusion, symbolism, characterization, irony, language, imagery, plot detail, and juxtaposition, and construct essay responses tying these to the novel’s meaning.