It's an age-old question: Do we decide what happens in our lives, or does some cosmic force (a.k.a. fate) control us? In The Dark is Rising, Will gets to choose what to do with his newfound powers. We see him actively seek out the Signs not because he has to or is forced to, but because he genuinely cares about helping save the world.
On the flip side, however, Will is told that he will hunt for the Signs before he does it, and Merriman knows exactly what will happen when Hawkin betrays them. And these are just two of many instances when actions seem predetermined. In this book, the debate about fate versus free will is complicated, and with evidence for both, we're left to decided for ourselves what to make of it.
Questions About Fate vs. Free Will
- Is Will fated to seek out the Signs or does he decide to? Is it a mix? What clues from the text support your answer?
- Do some characters seem to control their fates more than others? If so, how do they do it? And either way, what does this mean about fate in this book?
- What are some of the ways the book defines fate and free will? Is there a struggle between the two in the text as a whole?
Chew on This
In The Dark is Rising, characters are not limited by fate but rather by knowledge of their fates.
Will might be fated to be the Sign-Seeker, but he is the one who chooses his path. He could simply have decided not to take this challenge on.