Essay prompts The Cursed (Coven of Bones Book 2) Harper L. Woods

12 Analytical Essay Prompts for The Cursed by Harper L. Woods

Use these prompts for a literary analysis of The Cursed, the second book in the Coven of Bones series. Each prompt targets specific novel elements—character change, causality, relationships, contrasting scenes, themes, symbols, structure, foreshadowing, and the ending. Use the chapter evidence to build a defensible argument. Internal links lead to full character studies, theme examinations, and other resources.

Prompt 1 – Willow’s Transformation from Puppet to Leader

Why it matters: At the start of the novel, Willow admits she was “the deception waiting in the night” and a puppet. By the end, she sits on a unified throne and leads the Coven. Tracing this arc reveals how she reclaims agency.

Sample thesis direction: Willow’s journey from manipulated pawn to sovereign leader is driven by her integration of Hecate necromancy with her Green magic, forcing her to accept her dual heritage and the cost of power.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 1 (About The Cursed): Willow acknowledges she was a puppet but feels an irresistible connection to Gray.
  • Chapter 10 (Chapter 13 evidence): In a vision, Aunt Loralei warns her not to let Gray change who she is; Willow commits to using the Hecate bones as a weakness.
  • Chapter 18 (Chapter 15): Willow collapses the Hecate throne, fuses it with the Madizza throne, and claims it as her own.
  • Chapter 34: Gray rips magic from four witches and transfers it to Willow; she then demands equal justice and Gray bows to her.
  • Chapter 45: Willow reveals the Maiden-Mother-Crone prophecy and accepts her role as the Mother, while Gray rejects forcing motherhood on her.

Prompt 2 – Gray’s Manipulation and Its Unintended Consequences

Why it matters: Gray orchestrates decades of deception—killing Loralei, seducing Charlotte, marking Willow—yet his control unravels as Willow grows stronger. The prompt asks whether he truly controls events or is himself caught in a web of fate.

Sample thesis direction: Gray’s repeated attempts to control Willow’s path backfire, eroding his authority and ultimately empowering Willow to make independent choices that he must accept.

Evidence leads:

  • Prologue: Gray kills Loralei and marks Willow, setting his plan in motion.
  • Chapter 2 (Chapter 5 evidence): Gray traps Willow’s soul and feeds her his blood, binding her to him.
  • Chapter 16: Gray reveals he had Willow’s father seduce Charlotte to create a powerful witch; he also admits he marked her the night of Loralei’s murder.
  • Chapter 28: Willow confesses she loves Gray, but Gray declares his love in return—his first genuine vulnerability.
  • Chapter 31: Gray bound their lives together, so stabbing him would kill her too; he gives her a choice, and she drops the knife.

Prompt 3 – The Marital Bond as a Symbol of Power and Submission

Why it matters: The marriage between Willow and Gray is consummated multiple times, each scene shifting the power balance. Analyzing these scenes reveals how the bond evolves from possession to partnership.

Sample thesis direction: The marital bond in The Cursed transitions from a one-sided mark of ownership to a mutual, albeit fraught, partnership, as both characters learn to negotiate vulnerability, trust, and consent.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 7: Willow unconsciously brands Gray with Hecate’s maze during sex, and Gray declares her his wife.
  • Chapter 15 (Chapter 18 evidence): Gray gives Willow gold rings and says he intends to marry her in all traditions.
  • Chapter 27: Gray withholds Willow’s orgasm until she says “I’m yours”; the scene emphasizes possession and dominance.
  • Chapter 32: After Willow’s betrayal, Gray punishes her with rough sex but also cares for her afterward, showing a shift toward trust.
  • Chapter 46: After the Hell seal closes, Gray and Willow make love slowly, and Willow whispers she chooses him every day.

Prompt 4 – Contrasting Scenes: The Two Throne Rituals

Why it matters: The novel contains two major throne scenes—one where Willow unifies the thrones (Chapter 18) and one where she summons the Coven by impaling her hands on the new throne (Chapter 33). Comparing them illuminates the theme of legitimate power versus violent assertion.

Sample thesis direction: The dual throne scenes contrast legitimate claim (unifying bloodlines) with violent enforcement (blood summoning), suggesting that Willow’s authority rests on both inheritance and the willingness to shed her own blood.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 18 (Chapter 17): Willow collapses the Hecate throne into bones, fuses them with Madizza vines, and sits in the new throne, claiming it as hers alone.
  • Chapter 33: Willow impales her hands on the throne, using her blood to summon all witches; Gray reveals the attempted assassination must be shown as a failure.
  • Between these scenes, Chapter 20 (Chapter 23) shows Willow resurrecting fifty dead witches and then releasing them—a sacrifice that cements her leadership.

Prompt 5 – Sacrifice and Duty: Willow’s Moral Calculus

Why it matters: Willow repeatedly sacrifices her desires—resurrecting her mother, her own life, her relationship with Iban—for the greater good. The prompt examines whether these sacrifices are truly voluntary or coerced.

Sample thesis direction: Willow’s sacrifices are framed as choices, but each is constrained by circumstances Gray created, blurring the line between duty and manipulation and forcing her to redefine what “voluntary” means.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 3: Gray resurrects Willow after Beelzebub kills her; she feels guilty about the unknown witch who died in her place.
  • Chapter 23 (Chapter 20): Gray warns that the magical balance requires Willow to return the fifty resurrected witches to death; she cannot go to Vermont to resurrect her mother.
  • Chapter 26: Willow takes the Devil Killer dagger, committing to kill Gray; she says she hates that she loves him.
  • Chapter 31: Gray gives Willow a choice between martyrdom (both die) or living with him; she drops the knife.
  • Chapter 45: Willow reveals the prophecy that her daughter must restore balance; Gray rejects it, vowing not to force motherhood on her.

Prompt 6 – The Symbolism of the Hecate Bones

Why it matters: The Hecate bones are a physical object that evolves: from a necklace, to a waist chain, to the core of the unified throne. Tracking this symbol shows Willow’s changing relationship with death and power.

Sample thesis direction: The Hecate bones move from being an external object of duty (necklace) to an integrated part of Willow’s identity (waist chain) to the foundation of her rule (throne), mirroring her acceptance of necromantic power.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 10 (Chapter 13 evidence): Willow wears the bones around her neck; they cool against her collarbone and she feels the ancestors’ desire for peace.
  • Chapter 15 (Chapter 18 evidence): Gray moves the bones from Willow’s throat to her waist, settling them across her hips.
  • Chapter 18 (Chapter 17): Willow collapses the Hecate throne into a skeleton and fuses it with the Madizza throne.
  • Chapter 41: Willow summons the bones of dead Brays and Madizzas from the cemetery to attack legacy-class witches.

Prompt 7 – Structure: The Prologue’s Foreshadowing of the Entire Novel

Why it matters: The prologue takes place fifty years before the main action, establishing Lucifer’s obsession with Willow and the key magical rules. Examining its role shows how the author seeds long-term plot and theme.

Sample thesis direction: The prologue functions as a compressed prophecy, introducing the central conflict (Lucifer’s possessive love, blood magic, and the Vessel concept) that the rest of the novel unravels and subverts.

Evidence leads:

  • Prologue: Lucifer kills Loralei, marks Willow with claw slashes, tastes her blood, and vows to claim her.
  • Chapter 5: Gray confirms to Willow that he killed Loralei and marked her fifty years ago through an apparition.
  • Chapter 16: Gray further reveals he had Willow’s father seduce Charlotte to create a powerful witch—tying back to the prologue’s plan.
  • Chapter 45: Charlotte (in vision) explains the prophecy of Maiden, Mother, Crone, which was set in motion by the prologue events.

Prompt 8 – Foreshadowing of the Maiden-Mother-Crone Prophecy

Why it matters: The prophecy is introduced late in the novel (Chapter 40) but has hints throughout. Analyzing the foreshadowing reveals how the narrative prepares for the cosmic stakes.

Sample thesis direction: The prophecy is foreshadowed through recurring triple-goddess imagery and Charlotte’s cryptic warnings, building toward a revelation that recasts Willow’s personal struggles as part of a cosmic battle.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 10 (Chapter 13 evidence): Willow sees twelve women in a line; Loralei warns her not to let Gray change her.
  • Chapter 35 (Chapter 38 evidence): Michael appears in a dream and mentions the Hellgate; Willow sees a rose that crumbles to ash.
  • Chapter 40 (Chapter 43 evidence): Charlotte gives Willow an apple, explains the triple goddess, and says Willow’s unborn child is the Maiden who will fight God’s army.
  • Chapter 45: Willow tells Gray about the prophecy; Gray rejects it, vowing to let the world burn before forcing motherhood.

Prompt 9 – The Epilogue: Margot’s Perspective on Free Will and Enchantment

Why it matters: The epilogue shifts to Margot’s point of view, showing her fear that her song magic has unwittingly enchanted Beelzebub. This mirrors Willow’s earlier fears about Gray’s compulsion and raises questions about consent and free will in relationships.

Sample thesis direction: The epilogue reframes the central tension of the novel—whether supernatural bonds can be consensual—through Margot’s forced power, suggesting that enchantment is a constant threat even in Hell.

Evidence leads:

  • Epilogue (Chapter 51 evidence): Margot remembers humming when she first saw Beelzebub, and now she fears her song stripped his free will.
  • Chapter 11 (Chapter 14 evidence): Margot tells Willow that Itar Bray abused her at fourteen; Willow vows to kill him.
  • Chapter 18 (Chapter 17): Margot publicly demands that Itar say “rape” before Willow kills him.
  • Chapter 44: Margot is thrown into Hell and Beelzebub dives after her, followed by Jonathan.
  • Chapter 42: Iban betrays Willow by stabbing her with the bone knife, claiming he gave up his magic for a family—another form of lost free will.

Prompt 10 – Character Change: Margot from Victim to Survivor (and Potential Weapon)

Why it matters: Margot begins as a traumatized victim but gradually finds her voice and power. By the epilogue, she is in Hell, tending to Beelzebub’s wing and grappling with her own dangerous magic.

Sample thesis direction: Margot’s arc transforms her from a silent survivor of abuse into an agent of her own power, yet the novel leaves her trapped in a new kind of captivity, questioning whether agency can truly be achieved under magical coercion.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 11 (Chapter 14 evidence): Willow learns Itar Bray abused Margot when she was fourteen; Margot admits it only after prodding.
  • Chapter 18 (Chapter 17): Margot demands Itar explicitly say “rape” during the public confession.
  • Chapter 44: Michael threatens Margot; Beelzebub dives after her when she is thrown into Hell.
  • Epilogue (Chapter 51 evidence): Margot stitches Beelzebub’s wing, reflects on her song magic, and decides to avoid singing and touching to break the enchantment.

Prompt 11 – Themes: Power and Control in the Willow-Gray Dynamic

Why it matters: The novel constantly asks who holds power in each scene. Gray uses physical force, threats, and magic to control Willow, but Willow finds ways to resist and eventually command her own authority.

Sample thesis direction: Power in The Cursed is not static but negotiated through every confrontation; Willow gains power not by matching Gray’s violence but by turning his own tools—the bond, the bones, the prophecy—to her advantage.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 3: Gray threatens to kill Willow’s loved ones if she fights him.
  • Chapter 5: Gray extracts Willow’s magic, then makes a blood pact to consummate their marriage.
  • Chapter 13 (Chapter 10): Willow decides to seduce Gray to lower his guard; she realizes his weakness is the Hecate bones.
  • Chapter 27: Gray forces a possessive sexual encounter, withholding orgasm until Willow submits verbally.
  • Chapter 34: Gray transfers four witches’ magic to Willow, and she then addresses the Coven as a leader.

Prompt 12 – The Use of Dreams and Visions as Narrative Structure

**Why it matters: Dreams and visions (Hecate afterlife, Michael’s appearance, the maze with Charlotte) are central to plot advancement and character development. They allow information to be revealed supernaturally.

Sample thesis direction: The dream sequences function as a secondary plotline that advances the cosmic prophecy and deepens Willow’s internal conflict, blurring the line between reality and fate.

Evidence leads:

  • Chapter 10 (Chapter 13 evidence): Willow’s vision of the Hecate afterlife: twelve women, Loralei’s warning.
  • Chapter 35 (Chapter 38 evidence): Michael appears in a dream, demands Willow open the Hellgate; Willow defies him.
  • Chapter 40 (Chapter 43 evidence): Willow enters the maze vision, meets Charlotte, learns about the Source and prophecy.
  • Chapter 41 (Chapter 44): The vision collapses as Willow is physically attacked; she uses necromancy to fight back.
  • Chapter 45: Willow reveals the prophecy to Gray, tying the visions to the novel’s conclusion.

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