Name: ___________________________________
Analysis and Discussion Questions for Chapter 1 of Trouble, by Gary Schmidt
Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, respond to each question in a full sentence.
1. Page 1, paragraph 1: What can you infer about Henry Smith from the setting and
tone of this first paragraph?
2. Page 1, paragraph 1: Why do you think Trouble is capitalized?
3. Page 2: Describe Henry’s community. What type of people do you think live
there? (See also page 4, paragraph 3)
4. Page 3, paragraph 2: What do you know about rugby and rowing crew? What
type of people are involved in these sports, and what does it say about the
community?
5. Page 4: Where can you see foreshadowing that something bad will happen?
(See page 4, paragraph 5, and also page 2, paragraph 3)
6. Page 5, paragraph 5: Describe the relationship between Franklin and Henry
(Notice the sarcastic tone in page 3, paragraph 3, but also the reverent tone in
page 6, paragraph 2)
7. Page 10, paragraph 3: What is the difference between Henry’s reaction to the
accident and Louisa’s reaction? Do you think one is better than the other?
8. Page 11, paragraph 1: What does Father Brenwood mean when he says, “No
matter what happens, there is always the business of the world to attend to?”
How could we, or the characters, apply this as a general life lesson?
9. Page 13: Is “indeterminate brain activity” a fate worse than death?
10. What dream does Henry have twice in this chapter? Why do you think he
dreams it?
Writing Activity
Directions: In this chapter, Trouble is capitalized partially to make it seem like a
personified villain, or a villain with human qualities. Think of what Trouble would look like
if it were human, what it would think about, and how it would behave. Then, write about
the events of Chapter 1 in a way that brings this personified character to life. You can
write through Trouble’s perspective, include Trouble as a main character, or write a
poem in which you feature the personified version of Trouble.
Requirements:
 Must portray Trouble as human; must include a detailed description of Trouble’s
looks, thoughts, and actions
 Must touch upon the main characters, events, and setting of Chapter 1
 Approximately ½ page for a narrative or 1 page for a poem