Questions for The Babadook? 1) Why can’t Amelia resolve her grief regarding the death of her husband in the car crash? Might she actually blame Sam for his death? If so, what are the consequences for their relationship?

2) Amelia’s sister is a rotten sibling, why doesn’t she want to help? Why is her daughter such a rotten kid? How come there are so many rotten kids in this picture? Is it because the narrative is written from the perspective of Samuel? After all, he does make the direct statement: Everybody hates me! If that’s true, why does everyone hate him?

3) Who puts the broken glass in the soup? Does that have anything to do with pain Amelia experiences in her back molar? Is it real or imaginary pain?

4) Who writes the book The Babadook? What are the consequences to Samuel. In the book, the Babadook appears to want to kill Samuel, is that the unconscious desire of Amelia? How could a Mother ever want to kill a child?

5) How does Freud’s notion of the Oedipal Complex play out in the narrative of the film The Babadook? Would you still be able to understand the film even if you have never read any of Freud’s ideas? How so?

6) Why does Amelia kill the little dog, and then bury it in the back yard? Do the worms come from the decay of the carcass? Has the dog been sacrificed to the Babadook rather than Sam to appease it?