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Bless the Beasts and the Children Study Guide Questions
Chapter 1-3
1. What mood is set on the opening page? What passages set this mood? Why?
2. “It was the face of his mother.” Why is the line so shocking? What kind of relationship
do you think Cotton has with his mother?
3. Describe Goodenow. Use quotes to back up your characterization.
4. What is the camp’s philosophy about cabin assignments? Do you agree with it? That is, do
like people eventually find like people? How might this be cruel in a camp setting?
5. Describe Lally 2. Use quotes to support your characterization.
6. What does the “oom room” symbolize?
7. What is the camp slogan? What does it imply? Why do you think this particular group of kids
is at this camp?
8. Describe Lally 1. Use quotes from the book to support your characterization.
9. The text focuses on competition that is inherent at the camp. What does the
text say about competition in the larger environment of America? How might this be a
positive concept? How might it be negative?
Chapters 4-6
1. Describe Sammy Shecker. Use quotes to support your characterization.
2. Describe Goodenow. What’s his background? How does his new stepfather feel about him?
What two actions of the father illustrate how he feels about Goodenow?
3. Bump time is, in truth, a kind of therapy used in group sessions for mutual support and
encouragement. Precisely, what is bump time and how might it be effective both for the boys
in this work of fiction and people in group therapy?
4. Describe Teft. What does Swarthout mean by the word “tilted?” What motivates Teft? What’s
important to him? What do other characters think about him?
5. Carefully examine the passage that begins with the words, “Cotton stood looking
at the,” and concludes with the end of that paragraph. What do you infer from this passage?
How strong is Cotton’s commitment to the group? What does he mean by, “Was our egg
rotten? Or were we cracked in the nest?”
6. What do you think about the idea that if you can’t win the award it was perfectly
acceptable to steal the award? Do you see this statement reflected in real life?
7. According to the counselors why is raiding good for the boys? Specifically what does it add to
character? How does this connect with what you have learned this year about Campbell’s
definition of a hero, as well as the definition of an epic hero? In your opinion, is this trait
heroic?
8. What’s Cotton’s first rule as leader? Why do you think he made it?
9. At the end of chapter 6, how much time has elapsed from the beginning of the book?
Chapters 7-8
1. What is ironic about the name Teft gives for the band? What does Teft do
that is somewhat shocking? How is this action explained in the following italicized
passage? Do you think Teft is truly brave?
2. What was the bed-wetters first feat? Why is it important?
Chapters 9-10
1. Describe Cotton’s background.
2. Look carefully at the paragraph on page 90 that starts, “They wearied, they sickened…”
Ultimately, what does Cotton want for the bedwetters?
3. What is important about the paragraphthat begins, “So we’re gonna vote again?”
What important fact does Cotton point out?
4. The words, “Judas Priest” are used. To what are they referring? When you’ve
finished this chapter look back over it noting other biblical allusions. Keep these in mind as
you continue reading.
5. Why does Cotton vote against going ahead with their adventure?
6. What does Goodenow almost do in the flashback? What is the cause of this action?
7. Why was Goodenow retching? Describe the imagery.
Chapters 11-12
1. Try to make some connections. Why are the boys traveling to this “Buffalo Preserve?” Why
is there blood everywhere? Think about Cotton’s dream in the first chapter. How might that
dream connect to this place?
2. Describe how the flashbacks impact the story. How do the effect the mood of the piece? How do they keep
the reader’s interest piqued?
3. To what does this simile refer? “ He was massive, he was beautiful, he stood as
though made of marble to adorn and fill a fountain of the Renaissance.” What image is
conjured by this use of figurative language? Why would Swarthout use this image? That is,
what is he saying about the buffalo?
4. Compare and contrast the buffalo to the humans in this scene. Which group is more humane? Explain your
answer and use quotes to support your reasoning.
5. Describe what happened at Sammy’s bar mitzvah? Why did it occur? Who shouldered the
blame? Why do you think this episode happened?
6. Describe the contrasting imagery used in the paragraph beginning, “A festive
atmosphere developed.”
7. Analyze the last paragraph of chapter 11. What is it saying? To what does it refer? What does Swarthout
mean by the line, “…for while a single buffalo remains, the sin of our fathers, and hence our own, is
imperfect.”
Chapters 13-14
1. What heroic act did Lally 2 perform?
2. Why do you think Sheba responds the way she does to Lally2? How does this effect why the
boys are at the buffalo preserve? Remember whose idea to return it was and who instigated
the trip?
3. To what does the line, “The wolves were kept at bay.” Refer?
4. Carefully analyze the paragraph beginning with, “What else?” What does Cotton
mean by, “All of us know we’re not just doing this for the buff”? To what is he referring?
5. Describe the bedwetters second raid on the camp trophies. The other campers accuse them of cheating, yet,
by the original rules how can you cheat at stealing, which theoretically is okay by the camp rules? Why,
really, are the boys and the counselors upset with the bedwetters.
Chapters 15-16
1. A school psychologist describes Goodenow as studious and self-destructive. How does his
stepfather interpret this information. What does he accuse Goodenow of being? Is there any
evidence to back up this accusation? Why do you think his stepfather jumps to this conclusion?
2. What conflict is revealed?
3. What insightful information does Cotton reach about his mother?
4. What literally is the Judas truck? What, figuratively, does Cotton mean by calling it a Judas
Truck?
5. Why is Teft at the boy’s camp in Arizona?
6. What metaphor does Swarthout use to describe the scene of the boys driving into the buffalo? What does it
imply?
7. Carefully consider the last paragraph that leads to the following page. To what is Swathout referring? Why
does he make this allusion? That is, what point is he making here?
Chapters 17-18
1. What does the italicized section about Sammy Shecker in chapter 17 reveal about his
character? How does this explain his current personality?
Chapters 19-20
1. What does the first paragraph imply the new conflict is?
2. Why does Swarthout write , “O twayne me a twim, where the ffuubalo jym?”
3. Examine carefully the paragraph on page 180 that states, ”Cotton said nothing.” What is the
image it conjures? To what is it referring?
4. Swathout wrote, “He was desperate and sane and improvising and coordinated and stoical as
stone and chiggers of excitement ate him alive.” What does he mean by this
description of Cotton?
5. Describe what happened on the overnight hike with the Apaches? Why is this important to the
bedwetters?
6. To what does the last italicized line, “They were free,” refer?
7. What, precisely, happens to John Cotton? How did this free the bedwetters forever?
Note John Cotton’s initials. Why would Swarthout give him these initials?
8. Why are the boys jeering at the men in the last paragraph?
Modified from : http://glacierpeakold.sno.wednet.edu/teachers/vbrowning/FrEnglish/docs/FrBeastUnit/Handouts/BBCS.G..htm