The Schwa Was Here Chapters 1 – 6
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1. What do you like about Antsy? Is he like you – if so, in what way? How is he different?
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2. Indirect Characterization occurs when an author reveals information about a character and his personality through
the character’s thoughts, words, and actions. These personality traits are shown rather than told. Find an example of
indirect characterization for the following characters in chapters 1-3:
a. Howie
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b. Ira
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c. Antsy
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d. Schwa
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3. Neal Shusterman uses many similes in his writing:
a. “I feel like my foot is pressed on a land mine that will blow the second I move” (19). – What effect does it have on
the audience?
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b. “Howie let off a shiver that I could feel like a tremor” (16) –what mental image is created?
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c. “…the basement had become like our own military bunker where we discuss national security and play video games
that my mother is convinced will rot…” (13)—what do we learn about Antsy from this?
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4. Read page 12, the long paragraph about Frankie on the bottom. What tone does Shusterman take? What do we
learn about Antsy?
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5. What does “functionally invisible” mean?
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6. Read the paragraph on page 26. What do we learn about Ansty? Explain what Antsy’s statement reveals about
his personality and how he views himself.
Use the following model: Readers begin to understand Ansty’s personality when he says __________. We see that he
_______. (The first sentence summarizes one aspect of his personality. The second sentence analyzes it…)
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7. Chapter 6
a. Explain the title.
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b. Reread the first 2.5 pages of chapter 6—stop at the break on page 55. How does this passage develop
Antsy? What does he notice about his position in the family?
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c. There are two scenes next to each other about fathers – we see the Schwa’s relationship with his dad
and Antsy with his father. Skim these pages. Complete the following sentences:
Calvin Schwa and his dad have a _______________ relationship. The sticky notes indicate
_______________. Meanwhile, Antsy and his father’s relationship seems more ____________. When
they communicate with each other they ______________.