Bad Boy Ch. 1-2
1. What information does Myers discover in the records of the Works Progress
Administration?
a. The Works Progress Administration gave him information regarding his greatgreat-uncle. He learns that Lucas D. Dennis was one of 150 slaves that Steve
Danridge owned before the Civil War. He was born in Jefferson and he lives with
his 84 year old wife in a house on Filmore Ave.
2. How does Florence Dean become a part of Walter Myer’s life?
a. Florence Dean was George Myer’s ex-wife before he married Mary Dolly Green.
Florence and George had two daughters: Geraldine and Viola. When Mary died,
Florence came with her current husband, Herbert, to bring her two daughters to
live with her in Harlem. They end up adopting Walter as well to make it easier
for George.
3. How would you describe Walter’s life at home before he starts school? How would you
describe Walter?
a. Walter was a very energetic child that required a lot of supervision. He was
constantly getting into things. Not only did he require supervision, he required
attention as well. He always wanted to me close to mama and be her focus. His
life was easier when mama was home, but still always managed to get into
trouble. He was a curious child who was eager to explore his boundaries. He
was a child who needed discipline, and he was extremely rambunctious.
4. Why do you think Walter joins other children in fighting the Jewish boys in Aunt Nancy’s
neighborhood?
a. Walter was following the guidance of the older boys when he was fighting the
Jewish boys. Not only did he seem to find it entertaining, but he also got food
out of it when the men in the matzoh factory saw them. He seemed to fight
simply because he “could.”
5. What motivates Walter to want to read?
a. Walter enjoyed spending time with mama and listening to her read. He wanted
to be able to tell her the stories like she told him.
Bad Boy Ch. 3-5
1. Why does Walter hit Manuel? Discuss Walter’s punishment and whether you think it is
fair.
a. Manuel was making fun of Walter’s speech issues in front of the class, and
mocking his abilities. I think that Walter’s punishment of writing “I will never,
never hit any student in Public School 125,” was not a fitting consequence.
However, it was something that he still remembers to this day so it obviously
made a lasting impression. I am not sure if the book doesn’t go into detail or if it
didn’t happen, but it doesn’t seem as though Manuel was punished for the
incident.
2. Describe Walter’s new home and neighborhood. Use specific details from the text in
your description.
a. Walter’s new home was an apartment on Morningside Avenue. He describes it
as a “wide and beautiful.” Page 22 states: “My own apartment was, I believe,
originally designed as a one-bedroom flat with a dining room, kitchen, living
room, and nursery.”
3. Although Walter is excellent at reading and spelling, far more attention is paid to his
speech problems. Explain how you think this makes him feel and why?
a. This is frustrating to Walter. He knows that he is smart and a gifted reader, he
just can’t get his thoughts from his brain to his mouth to come out correctly. He
wants so badly to be a “good student”, but he is often overlooked or made fun
of due to his speech impediment. Praising a person’s strengths is important
because it can give them the confidence to improve their weakness.
4. What happens in Walter’s fight with Bunny? Explain why you think Walter behaves as he
does in this situation.
a. A student was antagonizing the fight, telling Bunny that Walter was going to give
him a bloody nose. Bunny then panicked and swung at Walter, knocking him
down. Walter was wrongfully blamed for the fight; however, past behavior
made it believable. Walter through the book out of frustration due to the
injustice of the situation.
5. On page 35, the author takes a step back from his own life to give a description of the
broader political and cultural climate of 1947. Is this good for someone to do when
writing an autobiographical work? Why or why not?
6.
7.
8.
9.
a. In this situation it was a very valid approach. It is important that the reader fully
understand and grasp what was going on during that time in history. Without
that background knowledge the stories of Walter’s childhood wouldn’t have had
the same meaning.
Walter recalls attempting to lynch another boy in the neighborhood. Discuss the tone
Walter uses when recalling the situation. Do you think he understood the seriousness
of his actions? Do you think he should’ve been more severely punished for his
behavior?
a. When Walter was discussing the incident he was using a very nonchalant tone.
“Even if I hadn’t been recuperating from my appendectomy, I don’t think I
would’ve received a beating for a simple hanging.” (pg 40) I don’t believe that
any of the boys understood the seriousness of the situation. The action would
have caused a consequence way more serious than having to white wash a wall;
they could have “accidentally” murdered their friend.
In what ways is Walter’s community sensitive to racial differences? In what ways is in
insensitive to these issues?
a. One noticeable thing about the community’s sensitivity to racial differences is
the integrated schools and church. Walter is also not ridiculed for having mixed
parents. The community was sensitive to the tone or degree of black. Pg. 40
“The Boones were ultra-light-skinned black who had professional jobs and were
upward bound.” “Light skin was a definite plus in our community, and it was
common to talk in a negative manner about a person with very dark skin.”
What do you think of Mrs. Conway?
a. I feel that Mrs. Conway, like many teachers from the time period, was a very
strict teacher who jumped to conclusions easily. However, I also feel like she
truly wanted to help Walter when she started giving him different books to read.
She seemed to appreciate his intelligence and desire to learn.
Explain what you think Walter means when he comments that “the ‘me’ who read the
books… seemed more real than the ‘me’ who played ball in the streets”. (p. 46)
a. While Walter enjoyed sports and interacting with his peers while playing games,
he loved books. Getting lost in books and writing was something that made him
feel safe and secure. They took him to his own little world, but it was a world he
felt he had to hide in, not a world that he could truly show to his peers. He was
first able to discover his power of imagination and his identity as a creative
person.
Bad Boy Ch. 6-7
1. Recalling summer in Harlem, Walter comments that black people seemed to fit into
three categories- churchgoer, entertainer, or athlete. Discuss how Walter comes up
with his three categories. What is necessary for people to think freely and creatively
about their dreams, desires, and identity?
a. Walter comes up with these 3 categories of people in his community because
that is what he observes. Walter’s conception of what a successful black person
can do is limited to what he can observe in his own community. Being exposed
to new ideas, cultures, people, career choices, or even just basic information can
help people expand what they know about the world and expand their ideas
about who they are or who they can become. However, it is worth noting that,
due to racism, African Americans in the 1940s and 1950s had significantly fewer
options that they do today.
2. Where does Walter learn what it means to be a boy? Why does he hide his love of
books?
a. Walter learns about acceptable and unacceptable male “behavior” from other
boys his age. Walter chooses to keep his interest in books a secret because he
does not want his special “book world” spoiled by teasing or fighting. Walter
feels that the fact that he enjoys books reveals something personal about him
that he doesn’t want others to know. Perhaps if all the boys were honest and let
go of their ideas about how boys “should” behave, Walter may have discovered
others interested in the arts among his friends.
3. In Mr. Lasher’s sixth-grade class, Walter’s grades and behavior improve. Why do you
think Walter does better in this class than in precious classes?
a. Mr. Lasher is able to stand up to Walter when he misbehaves, but he does not
embarrass Walter. In addition, Mr. Lasher puts Walter in speech therapy one
day a week and convinces him that his writing and reading talents make him
special. Mr. Lasher treats Walter like he has something to offer the other
students and challenges him to be a leader. Mr. Lasher shows Walter that his
bad choices have consequences but also nurtures Walter’s strengths so that he
has the confidence to succeed.
4. Why do you think that Walter tells his father that his mother beat him rather than
admitting the truth- that he was injured trying to hitch a ride on a taxi? Discuss whether
or not you think Walter’s lie is justifiable and why. Why do you think Walter’s mother
responds as she does?
a. Walter does not want to get into trouble for what he has done and seems to act
impulsively to protect himself. The resulting situation between his parents
escalates quickly, and Walter soon feels that the gravity of his lie has made
telling the truth impossible. Florence likely never says anything to Walter about
the incident because she is so shocked and hurt by it. I think she hopes that
Walter’s conscience will provide all of the motivation he needs to come forward,
apologize, and tell the truth.
5. Explain what events serve to remind Walter that he is “not the center of the universe”
(p. 65.) How is the timing of these events ironic?
a. Walter suffers in silence with his fractured feet, and his mother his not far from
his thoughts as he endures the pain. This is followed by the death of Walter’s
Uncle Lee, which sends Herbert (his dad) into a deep depression. The timing of
these events is ironic because they both serve to divert Walter’s attention from
himself at moments when he would have been celebrating himself. What should
have been a great reward, the privilege to carry the flag at graduation, is nearly
unbearable due to his fractures, which in turn remind him of the lie that he told
at his mother’s expense. Uncle Lee’s death and Herbert’s depression occur
shortly before Walter is supposed to have his twelfth birthday party and the
party ends up getting cancelled.
6. Walter wants to be good, but also wants to be accepted by his peers. Are those two
ideas necessarily mutually exclusive? How might Walter’s interest in reading separate
him from his peers and his parents? Does having an interest that makes you feel
different from others mean that you cannot have other things in common with people?
a. Being good and being accepted do not have to be mutually exclusive. It is always
possible to find peers that believe in acting responsibly. In those cases, one’s
peers would validate good behavior. Having an interest that other do not share
can at times feel isolating, especially when Walter’s father can’t read. However,
this does not mean that Walter shouldn’t pursue the things that are his passions.
It is possible for people to relate to each other on many different levels. One
example is the way Walter is able to connect with his peers by playing sports.
7. Why do you think the author mentions the two pages about slavery in his seventh-grade
American history book?
a. As an adult, Walter seems shocked by the insensitive and limited coverage given
to one of the largest issues in America’s history. As a boy, Walter believes that
the world is a fair and just place. His history books and teachers failed to provide
an accurate depiction of the evils of slavery, so Walter grows up with the
impression that slavery wasn’t really wrong. It is evident that as an adult Walter
has very different feelings on the matter.
Bad Boy Ch. 8-9
1. Why do you think Walter finds it difficult to write about his own community and
Harlem? What is ironic about his dilemma and the way he communicates it to the
readers?
a. As a boy, Walter doesn’t think that Harlem compares to the places other writers
have described. He has not been exposed to writers who could write about city
life in a beautiful way, and in turn, has a hard time knowing how to describe his
city life in the same graceful style as the Romantic British poets. Ironically, as an
adult, Walter is obviously aware of Harlem’s beauty and has no trouble capturing
it in vivid detail.
2. Do you think it is fair for people to dislike Melba Valle because she is trying to “make
herself different from the others” (p.83)? Explain your opinion.
a. Walter’s description of Melba does not depict her as a pretentious person. It
may be that the other residents in Walter’s building feel threatened by Melba’s
success. Rather than rejoicing in her success, they are jealous of it and feel
worse about themselves because they have not achieved the same level of
success in their lives. People who feel this way may discourage others from
pursuing their ambitions, even if their motives for doing so are pure.
3. Discuss the following quote: “What I was doing, without knowing it, was accepting the
idea that whites were more valuable than blacks. I knew I would never be white, and
therefore I wanted to be without race” (p. 85-86).
a. The America in which young Walter is growing up is predominantly racist, and
consequently, he must accept that a wide socioeconomic gap exists between
whites and blacks. At the same time, he wishes to realize his ideals by somehow
transcending race and achieving something universally recognized as a great
accomplishment.
4. Discuss the purpose of the club started by boys in Walter’s class. What is the appeal of
such a group? What, if any, are the dangers?
a. Some may see a similarity between this club and gang activity- a group of people
trying to be macho and prove they are special. Benefits include having a place
to belong and having a group of people to influence. Dangers include doing
things without reason or personal conviction- there is more peer pressure to do
what is “macho” or “cool,” so the individual takes less responsibility for his or
her own actions in order to please the group. This could mean, depending on
the group-approved behavior, getting in trouble with the law or suffering injury.
5. Many years after the fact, Walter still feels the sting of being excluded from Eddie’s
party. Discuss why excluding someone, for any reason, may ne hurtful to him/her. Why
do you think this issue still bothers Walter?
a. Deliberately excluding someone from an event or activity is a way of saying that
they are inferior to those who were included. Walter was angered and
saddened to be excluded from the party on the basis of something he cannot
change, his skin color. He realizes that Eddie does not see him as a unique
human being, but rather as an insignificant member of a group of people whom
he views as inferior to whites.
6. Walter becomes fascinated with Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems as he learns more
about Browning’s life. Discuss whether or not you think a writer’s work is more or less
appealing when the reader knows something about the author’s real life.
a. Some say it is easier to connect with a piece of writing when it is framed within a
specific emotional context. Others feel that knowing the specific emotional
context of a work leaves it open to less interpretation and detracts from its
universality.
7. Examine how you think Walter’s father feels about his son’s greatest achievements
being in reading and writing while he himself cannot read.
a. I think he is proud to have a son who excels academically and may eventually
have financial security. I could also see how Walter’s achievements could make
his father feel distant or ashamed because he cannot share in them.