Muriel Spark's arch, subversive novel entertains us with its amusing, nostalgic evocation of the 1930s schooldays of a group of middle-class Edinburgh girls - then forces us to face up to the easy surface charms, and darker undercurrents, of Miss Jean Brodie's perfect self-assurance. David Robb's SCOTNOTE study guide untangles the many aspects of this novel - historical, political, psychological and religious - and is an ideal guide for senior school pupils and students at all levels.