1. A number of young adult novels feature female protagonists who have unusual "gifts" and who battle their own cultures in order to pursue activities usually identified with males.

Compare and contrast Cat with characters such as Harry Crewe of Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword (1982) and Sara Louise Bradshaw of Katherine Paterson's Jacob Have I Loved (1980).

To what extent do these works share similar concerns about gender roles?

2. The travellers frequently encounter prejudice—they are chased off by police, they are taunted and persecuted by those they meet, and their camp is burned. Write an essay exploring the sources of this persecution. To what extent do the travellers bring antagonism on themselves?

3. Based on a close reading of the novel, write a feature article for a magazine describing the society and culture of the travellers. You might also compare the...