Killing Mr. Griffin Chapters 13-19 Questions (page 2)
1. Dramatic irony is when a character in a play or literature says or does
something without fully understanding the consequences or knowing the
entire situation. The audience and other characters may have knowledge of
these consequences.
a) Explain the dramatic irony of Susan’s mom saying to Susan: “I just pray
whoever did this will be caught and punished to the full limit of the law”
(page 185).
b) Explain the irony of Jeff’s dad saying to his wife: “All you have to do is
open the paper or pick up a magazine and you see a bunch of messed-up
kids in trouble. It makes you wonder where the parents are while all that’s
going on” (page 187).
2. Why doesn’t Jeff’s mother like Mark? What has Mark told them about his
home life?
3. Give 2 reasons why Susan suspects Mark of killing Irma Ruggles.
4. When Susan doesn’t want to go along with Mark’s plans anymore, Mark
says, “She’s just gotten a little mixed up on her values” (page 211). What is
ironic about this statement?
5. Explain what really happened to Mark’s father and why. Knowing this, are
you surprised by Mark’s actions toward Susan?
6. How do Susan’s parents behave after Susan’s ordeal? What does this tell
you about them as parents?
7. Read the definition of a psychopath on pages 219-220. Select any one
sentence from this description and give an example to show how it applies to
Mark throughout the novel.
8. What charges do you think the group will face? Do you feel they are all
getting what they deserve? Explain your answer.
9. Did Mr. Griffin take his wife’s advice about his students? How do you
know?
10. What do you think will happen to Susan in the future? Write 5-8
sentences describing what you think is in store for her.