Approaching ’salem’s Lot, Ben almost abandons his notion of returning. Do you think that barring vampires, he would have found what he was looking for, or was it a doomed effort from the start? Why?

Critics of ’Salem’s Lot have called attention to the roles of women in the story. Do the women in Ben’s life serve any function in the story beyond dying? If not, what is their significance?

Is Susan a weak character? Does she make bad choices, or is she an innocent bystander?