Socratic Seminars in Middle School
Teacher Supplement
This supplement contains answers to the exercises in the book as well as bonus lesson plans.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Memorandum to Teachers
Chapter 3
Answers to Robert Frost Poem Notations Exercise
Chapter 4
Answers to Three Kinds of Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 1
Chapter 5
Answers to Qualities of Good Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 2
Chapter 6
Answers to Basic Interpretive Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 3
Chapter 7
Answers to Spontaneous Follow-up Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 4
Chapter 10
Answers to “Sucker”: Plot-Check Quiz
Answers to “Sucker”: Review Quiz on Qualities of Good Questions
Answers to Review Quiz on Qualities of Good Questions
Answers to “Two Soldiers” Plot-Check Quiz
Answers to Bumper Sticker Patriotism vs. Memorable Rhetoric: Journal Writing
Chapter 11
Answers to “The Veldt”: Plot-Check Quiz
BONUS LESSON PLAN: The Giver
Chapter 12
Answers to “Harrison Bergeron”: Plot-Check Quiz
Answers to Three Kinds of Questions: “Harrison Bergeron” Exercise 1
Answers to Qualities of Good Discussion Questions: “Harrison Bergeron” Exercise 2
2081 DVD (2009)
Chapter 13
Answers to Because of Winn-Dixie: Plot-Check Quiz
Because of Winn-Dixie Plot Summary
Answers to “Bad Characters”: Plot-Check Quiz
Answers to “Bad Characters”: Review Quiz, Qualities of Good Questions
Chapter 14
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret: Plot-check Quiz (Answer Key)
Chapter 15
Answers to “The Stone Boy”: Plot-Check Quiz
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
MEMORANDUM
TO: English Teachers
FROM: Victor and Marc Moeller
RE: Teacher Supplement
DATE: November 2014
As we shake your hand and get a chair for you, let us explain briefly how this Teacher
Supplement will help you become a better teacher. Everything in the book is based on the
assumption that students, not teachers, are the primary agents in learning. The corollary is that
authentic learning is active learning. The consequence is that students become responsible for
their own learning.
This supplement is more than an appendix of answer keys for the tests and exercises in your
textbook, Socratic Seminars in Middle School. It also includes bonus material you can use while
implementing the Socratic method of teaching and learning.
For more supplementary materials, check out victormoeller.com.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, we would love to hear from you since it is,
after all, for teachers like you that this book has been written.
--Victor and Marc Moeller
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 3
Answers to Notations Exercise Using Robert Frost Poem
Here is a sample of the notations of some of my students:
“The Road Not Taken”
Robert Frost
Can title also mean “The Road Less Traveled”?
The road most would NOT take?
1
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
fall
Why want to take both?
reflecting
6
Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
BOTH were beautiful
an admission
reason for choice
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
a.m.
11
An after thought?
16
distant future
Why repeat line 1?
another admission
Why an exclamation
of regret or satisfaction?
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
an important choice
Two roads diverged in a yellow
wood, and I—
Why hesitation?
I took the one less traveled by,
Is he bragging?
And that has made all the difference.
For better or worse?
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 4
Answers to Three Kinds of Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 1
INT
1.
FACT 2.
EVAL 3.
INT
4.
FACT 5.
INT
6.
INT
7.
girl’s mother?
EVAL 8.
INT
9.
FACT 10.
Why does the mother call the insect a bug but the father give it a name and personality?
Did the father buy more than one kilos of peaches for his daughter?
Would you rather live with the little girl’s mother or her father?
Unlike the father, why does the mother persuade her daughter to stay with her?
Do we know why the girl’s parents divorced?
Why does the girl finally decide to live with her mother rather than with her father?
Why does the mother ridicule the girl’s father but the father say nothing bad about the
Why do some children of divorced parents have a hard time growing up?
Why does the girl cry before she kills Gaston?
How did the father feel when his daughter returned to New York?
Chapter 5
Answers to Qualities of Good Discussion Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 2
GO (GOOD) if it is good discussion question of interpretation
NC if the question is NOT CLEAR
NS if the question is NOT SPECIFIC and could bed asked of any story.
LD for LACKS DOUBT because it cannot be answered in more than one way.
NI for NOT INTERPRETIVE because it is factual or evaluation.
NA if it is not answerable on basis of the text alone.
NS
NA
NC
FACT
EVAL
LD
GO
NS
NC
GO
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
NS
GO
NC
GO
NS
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
What is the main conflict in the story?
Will the girl ever see her father again?
Why does she act like a jerk?
To what does the girl compare her father’s home?
Would you have killed the bug?
Does the author portray the girl as confused at times?
Why does the girl describe Gaston’s peach as “broken”?
What is the father’s role in the story?
Why don’t the father and the mother try harder?
Why does the author have the mother try to persuade the daughter to leave but the father
refrain from persuading her to stay?
What is Saroyan saying about divorce?
At the end of the story why does the father feel like Gaston?
Is the father using Gaston?
Why didn’t the father scold his daughter for killing Gaston?
What is the significance of the story’s title?
Chapter 6
Answers to Good Basic Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 3
A Why does the father let his daughter make up her own mind instead of telling her what to do?
B Does the author intend the little girl’s situation to be like Gaston’s?
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(A)
1.
Why doesn’t the father make plans with his daughter about what they would do?
Are we to believe that the girl’s home, like Gaston’s, can never be in order again because
(B)
2.
of her parent’s divorce?
(A)
3.
Why does the father answer with questions when his daughter asks if he is going to
squash Gaston or holler?
Why does the father let his daughter decide whether to go with him to buy a peach or to
(A)
4.
stay at home?
(B)
5.
Is the girl “homeless” because her loyalty to her father and mother is divided?
Why does everything seem wrong with Gaston just after the mother’s phone call.
(B)
6.
(B)
7.
Is the author suggesting that the girl, like Gaston, cannot live happily in her father’s
house?
Why doesn’t the father tell the girl what to say if her mother calls except that he has gone
(A)
8.
to get her a bad peach?
(A)
9.
Why doesn’t the father comment when his daughter says, “I want to be here”?
Is the “break” in Gaston’s house intended to suggest the “break” in the girl’s life when
(B)
10.
her parents divorced?
(A)
11.
Why does the father ask his daughter why she squashed Gaston instead of scolding her?
Why does the narrator tell us that Gaston is wandering around confused after the
(A)
12.
telephone call of the mother?
(B)
13.
If the little girl’s situation is like Gaston’s, why does the author have both the girl and her
father say that Gaston is like him?
(A)
14.
Why does the father resist his impulse to hug his daughter as she leaves?
Why does the father say only “Oh” when his daughter says she is flying back to New York?
(A)
15.
(B)
16.
Why does the girl’s crying after she squashed Gaston remind her of when she cried “long ago”?
Chapter 7
Answers to Spontaneous Follow-up Questions: “Gaston” Exercise 4
1.
Leader: Why does the mother try to persuade her daughter to leave but the father tell her only
that the important thing is what she wants?
Sarah: Because the mother is selfish and more involved with her own feelings. She doesn’t even
realize that it might be better for her daughter to live with her father. But I wonder why the girl
wanted a rotten peach.
Follow-up question:
How do you deal with several ideas in a response? Follow up on any one of them but do not
ignore all of them (excerpt those clearly irrelevant) by asking for another opinion. For example,
“Sarah, how does the mother show that she is involved in her own feelings” (substantiation) or:
“Linda, do you agree with Sarah that the mother is not concerned about having about having her
daughter live with her father”? (more opinion)
2.
Leader: Is the author implying that the girl’s house, like Gaston’s, can never be put in order
again because of her parent’s divorce?
Brian: For sure. All the kids that I know whose parents have split are pretty unhappy people.
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Follow-up question:
The answer is evaluative, based on personal experience not the story. The solution is to turn Brian
back into the story. For example: “Brian, what in the story shows that the little girl is unhappy
about her parent’s divorce”?
3.
Leader: Why does the father answer with question when the girl asks if he is going to squash
Gaston?
Rachael: What questions?
Follow-up question:
Failure to remember something in the story. Three options: (1) ask Rachel to look up the relevant
passage; (2) ask someone else if they remember the questions; (3) rephrase the question with one
of the father’s questions in it.
4.
Leader: Near the end of the story, why does Saroyan refer to the father as “the man”?
John: I don’t have a clue. Call on somebody else. Anyway, who cares?
Follow-up question:
No response at all (which is not uncommon in earl discussions—especially when the leader
forgets to give students time to write down their initial answers to the prepared question). Six
options: (1) repeat the question to give the student time to think; (2) rephrase the question; (3) ask
a related factual question; (4) ask a related interpretive question; (5) ask a related question of
evaluation; or finally, as a last resort, (6) call on another student.
5.
Leader: Why does the father resist the impulse to hug his daughter when she leaves to return to
her mother?
Laura: He really doesn’t love her at all. She was just something he got rid of.
Follow-up question:
A wrong answer—that is, an interpretation that cannot be supported with evidence or which is
contradicted by other evidence in the story. Two options: (1) ask for evidence that the father does
not love his daughter; (2) ask someone else if they agree (If they agree, ask the, for their
evidence); ask a follow-up question for consistency that introduces the contrary evidence. For
example, “Laura, if the father doesn’t love his daughter, why does he tell her that the important
thing is that she chooses where she wants to live”? The leader must not “help” the student by
telling s/he is wrong. To develop independent thinking, students must learn in discussion to judge
for themselves which answers are right (good, better, best) and which are wrong.
6.
Leader: Why does the mother ridicule the girl’s father but he say nothing bad about the mother?
Chris: Because that’s what the story is all about.
Follow-up question:
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The reply is undeveloped and vague. Three options: (1) ask for clarification (the kind of followup question that is too often asked least in discussion)—for example, “Chris, what is the story all
about?’; (2) get another opinion, “Mary, what do you think the story is all about?”; (3)
sometimes, ask a follow up for implication—for example, “Chris, do you mean the story is all
about the struggle between the mother and the father for control over their daughter?”
7.
Leader: Why does no one in the story have a name except for Gaston?
Participant: Her father wants to be entertaining. He’s a fun kinda guy.
Follow-up question:
Follow up on either idea but do not ignore them both.
8.
Leader: Why does the girl ask her father why it is important for her to be where she wants to be?
Linda: I’ll bet that question never occurred to her as being important before that moment.
Marc: She’s probably so confused by this time that she really doesn’t understand her situation.
Dave: Maybe she wants to see if her father would react like her mother. She did ask him what she
should say if her mother called when he was gone.
Follow-up question:
Multiple, rapid responses (common in advanced groups). Three options: (1) follow up on any one
of the answers but do not ignore all three by merely calling on another participant. Which one do
you pursue? Pursue whichever one seems the most interesting or relevant to you; (2) table one or
two responses on your seating chart that you do not immediately pursue and come back to them
later during a lull; (3) ask Linda or Marc if they agree with David’s idea and then ask them for
evidence (substantiation).
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 10
Answers to “Sucker”: Plot-Check Quiz
1. What are Pete and Sucker’s ages and how are they related?
FACT: Pete is sixteen and Sucker twelve. Sucker is Pete’s cousin but became his adopted brother
after Sucker’s parents were killed in an auto accident.
2. What is the “trouble” that Pete talks about in the opening of the story?
INT: An outsider would likely think it is that Pete and Sucker are no longer close to each other.
However from Pete’s point of view, he may not really understand what exactly this trouble is; his
feelings are ambivalent.
3. How is Maybelle Watts somehow mixed up in the trouble between Pete and Sucker?
FACT: Pete thinks that there may be some connection between Maybelle treating him badly and
his meanness towards Sucker.
4. Why does Pete tell Sucker about his relationship with Maybelle?
INT: Since Pete admits he lies about their relationship (“I made out like it was her who had been
running after me all this time”), he may be trying to impress Sucker; on the other hand, he may
want Sucker to know that someone else has become important in his life so that Sucker will let
him alone and stop being so demanding.
5. How does Maybelle dump Pete?
FACT: “She told me she was sick and tired of my being around and that she had never cared a rap
about me. She said all that.”
6. How does Pete react to Maybelle’s rejection?
FACT: “I just stood there and didn’t say anything. I walked home very slowly.”
7. How does Pete dump Sucker?
FACT: “Why aren’t we buddies? Because you’re the dumbest slob I ever saw! Nobody cares
anything about you! And just because I felt sorry for you sometimes and tried to act decent don’t
think I give a damn about a dumb-bunny like you! . . . Why don’t you get a girlfriend instead of
me? What kind of a sissy do you want to grow up to be anyway?”
8. Why was Sucker so hurt by the way that Pete told him off?
INT: Pete says it was because his voice was “slow and like I was very calm.” However, Pete
admits that it he does not understand why Sucker looked up to him so much.
9. How does Sucker react to Pete’s rejection?
FACT: “Sucker didn’t move . . . Slowly that blank look went away and he closed his mouth. His
eyes got narrow and his fists shut. There had never been such a look on him before.”
10. Does McCullers want us to believe Pete’s explanation for not apologizing to Sucker?
INT: Yes and no. Pete may be honest when he says “Maybelle was somehow mixed up in what
happened.” On the other hand, when confides in the reader, it sounds like he’s giving himself an
excuse: “You can’t help what happens to you at night. That is what made things how they are.”
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Answers to “Sucker”: Review Quiz on Qualities of Good Questions
1. What kind of relationship is there between Pete and Sucker?
NS: Can be asked of any characters in any story. Furthermore, it can be answered factually: Sucker is
Pete’s first cousin. In short, the question does not pinpoint a problem about their relationship.
2. What’s the connection between Pete, Sucker, and Maybelle?
NS: Like the first question, this question can be asked of any characters in any story. Merely naming
characters does not make the question specific.
3. Why does Sucker think that Pete doesn’t like him anymore?
FACT: He angrily told him to get lost.
4. What’s wrong with Sucker?
NC: What is meant by “wrong”? Do you have a word in mind?
5. Why does Sucker do everything Pete tells him even though he isn’t stupid?
GOOD: Several possible explanations are possible based on the evidence.
6. Do you ever dream about things that you are worried about?
EVAL: A question about personal experience.
7. Was Pete out of it?
NC: What does “out of it” mean? Slang is always ambiguous.
8. Why is Pete so upset about telling off Sucker?
GOOD: Several possible explanations are possible based on the evidence.
9. What is the meaning of the title?
NS: Can be asked of any title. However, in this story Pete explains that the title is a nickname that he
gave his cousin, Richard, because “[he believed] every word I said.”
10. Does Pete feel bad about hurting Sucker’s feelings?
LD: Of course. He feels so bad that he becomes obsessed with trying to make up for the hurt that he
caused Sucker.
11. Why does Pete change his mind about introducing Maybelle to Sucker?
FACT: Pete is embarrassed by Sucker’s “silly” behavior when he walks into the movie that has already
begun.
12. Is Pete’s problem as big as Sucker’s problem?
NC: What is each boy’s “problem”?
13. Should Pete have gotten help when he knows doesn’t know how to make up with Sucker?
EVAL: A question about personal values.
14. Does Pete feel like a jerk or a fool for having tried to get Maybelle’s attention?
LD: Yes, indeed. There is no evidence that he doesn’t.
15. In this story is Pete looking for a way to be friends again with Sucker or is he trying to excuse his meanness?
GOOD: Several possible explanations are possible depending on the evidence cited. This question is
basic to the entire story.
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Answers to “Two Soldiers”: Plot Quiz
1. “Me and Pete,” the first three words of the story, refers to:
(a) Billy Joe and his brother
(b) The narrator and his cousin
(c) The narrator and brother
2. The narrator of the story is almost ________ years old.
(a) Nine
(b) Ten
(c) Fifteen
(d) Seventeen
(e) Twenty
3. Pete is almost ________ years old.
(a) Nine
(b) Ten
(c) Fifteen
(d) Seventeen
(e) Twenty
4. The story takes place in (two answers):
(a) Memphis
(b) Oxford
(c) Frenchman’s Bend
(d) Mississippi
(e) Jefferson
5. The time of the story is during the ____ War.
(a) First World
(b) Second World
(c) Civil
(d) Revolutionary
6. Pete goes to the city because he had been drafted.
(a) True
(b) False
7. When Pete left home, he was most concerned about the effect his absence would have on his:
(a) Maw
(b) Pap
(c) Brother
(d) Sister
(d) None of these
8. Pete’s mother is against his leaving home because she:
(a) Can’t think of one good reason
(b) Thinks that her brother did enough in WW I
(c) Knows he will get into trouble
(d) Thinks his brother will want to leave home next
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9. Pete’s father is against his leaving home because:
(a) He had done enough already
(b) He needed Pete’s help on the farm
(c) He had gotten into trouble himself
(d) He agreed with Pete’s mother’s thinking
(e) None of these
10. Pete’s brother is both for and against his brother’s leaving home.
(a) True
(b) False
11. Since Pete felt that he had to leave home, that he’s “got to go,” his brother assumed that he would
have to go with him.
(a) True
(b) False
12. Pete never did give a reason for leaving home.
(a) True
(b) False
13. The author wants us to admire Pete’s reason for leaving home.
(a) True
(b) False
14. The author wants us to think that Pete’s brother is foolish for wanting to leave home with his brother.
(a) True
(b) False
15. Pete’s brother finally gets to the city where Pete had gone by:
(a) Walking
(b) Walking and a bus
(c) Hitchhiking
(d) Bus
(e) Train
16. When the narrator finally gets to Memphis and finds his brother, Pete is:
(a) Curious
(b) Astonished
(c) Disgusted
(d) Angry
(e) Embarrassed
17. Pete immediately reprimands his brother for:
(a) Using profane language
(b) Using his knife
(c) Whining and whimpering
(d) Disobeying him
(e) Not telling his parents he had also left home
18. Peter’s brother told him that he had come to Memphis because:
(a) He wanted to say goodbye
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(b) His heart hurt
(c) He knew he wanted him to come
(d) He knew he would need wood and water
(e) None of these
19. Pete’s brother is astonished when his older brother:
(a) Hits him on the head
(b) Takes away his knife
(c) Kisses him
(d) Shouts angrily at him
(e) Tells him the Army had rejected him
20. When Pete’s brother returns home, he:
(a) Tells his parents he sorry for being so late
(b) Begins crying uncontrollably
(c) Tells his parents he wanted to see Pete
(d) Blames Pete for leaving home
(e) None of these.
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Answers to Bumper Sticker Patriotism vs. Memorable Rhetoric:
JOURNAL WRITING
Questions: To what historic event do some of these slogans or quotations refer? To whom have some of
the slogans or quotations been attributed? Which of these tone words apply?
insidious
elegiac
chauvinistic
laudatory
false analogy
either/or fallacy
simplistic
divisive
Intolerant
inspiring
bigoted
jingoistic
1. “My country, right or wrong.”
Teddy Roosevelt’s foreign policy, 1920 (jingoistic, either/or fallacy)
2. “America—Love it or Leave it!”
Vietnam War, 1954–75 (jingoistic, either/or fallacy)
3. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
Nathan Hale, 1776 (inspiring and laudatory)
4. “No one has a right to desecrate the flag.”
Republican perennial slogan for an Amendment (insidious, flag is not sacred)
5. “Bring ’em on!”
G. W. Bush, 2002 (jingoistic, either/or fallacy)
6. “You’re with us [America] or against us!”
G. W. Bush, 2002 (jingoistic, either-or fallacy)
7. “America’s mission today is to spread God’s gift of democracy to other nations.”
G. W. Bush, 2006 (insidious, condescending, arrogant)
8. “The last full measure of devotion”
Abraham Lincoln, 1861, Gettysburg (inspiring, laudatory)
9. “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my
brother.”
“War-like Harry” in Henry V 4.3.60–61 (inspiring, laudatory)
10. “All you have to do [to go to war] is tell the common people that they are being attacked or will be
attacked and then denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It
works the same in any country.”
Hermann Goering, 1939 Head of the Nazi Gestapo (insidious, cynical)
11. “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Winston Churchill, 1944 (Battle of Britain, RAF) (elegiac, laudatory)
12. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1943, Pearl Harbor (inspiring, reassuring)
13. “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.
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John F. Kennedy, 1961 (quoting Cicero during his Inauguration Speech)
14. “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
Samuel Johnson, 1755, Dictionary of the English Language (cynical)
15. “Patriotism is not the last resort of a scoundrel but the first.”
Ambrose Bierce, 1885, Devil’s Dictionary (cynical)
16. “No soldier wants to die for his country. Your job is to make the other sob die for his!
George S. Patton, 1944, Normandy D Day, World War II (inspiring)
17. “Love of patriotism becomes a demon when it becomes a god.”
Michael de Rougemont
18. “We should not ask if God is on our side but whether we are on His side.”
Abraham Lincoln, 1861, Civil War
19. “God bless America” vs. “God Save America”
Red and blue states of America on the Iraq War, 2001 (divisive)
20. “Support our troops”
Iraq War, 2001 (simplistic, divisive)
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Chapter 11
Answers to “The Veldt”: Plot-Check Quiz
1. Nursery
2. Happy-life Home
3. George
4. George
5. mechanical genius
6. Lydia
7. out of control
8. Wendy/Peter
9. Peter/Wendy
10. nursery/African Veldt
11. Lydia
12. George
13. George
14. George
15. nothing happened
16. out of control
17. David McClean
18. psychologist
19. nursery
20. Wendy/Peter
21. Peter/Wendy
22. Rima (Green Mansions)
23. wallet
24. screams
25. nursery
26. Peter
27. George/Lydia
28. Lydia/George
29. nursery/House
30. vacation
31. Peter
32. David McClean
33. nursery/house
34. George
35. David McClean
36. scarf
37. Lydia
38. George
39. Wendy/Peter
40. Peter/Wendy
41. hysterics/tantrums
42. Peter
43. George
44. George
45. Lydia
46. George/Lydia
47. Lydia/George
48. their own
49. Wendy and Peter
50. David McClean
51. like a cup of tea
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BONUS LESSON PLAN
The Giver Lesson Plan 11A
[Chapter 11 bonus lesson plan not in the main book]
“For all the children to whom we entrust the future.”
1. Focus:
Journal: How would you like to live in a perfect world where
everything is under control? There is no war, fear, or anxiety,
hunger, or poverty but total security--a world where you would not
have to worry about anything.
2. Objective:
To resolve several questions of interpretation about the overall
meaning of the novel.
3. Purpose:
o To increase our mutual understanding (comprehension) and, as a
result, our enjoyment of the story and movie.
o To develop the habits of reflective. critical, and independent
thinking.
4. Input:
Begin with a factual plot check quiz.
Two to four basic questions (40-60 minutes)
5. Modeling, checking, and guided practice:
During discussion the co-leaders model the
four rules of discussion, check for
understanding by asking follow-up questions
for clarification, substantiation, consistency,
relevance, implication, resolution, and to get
more opinion.
Guided practice IS the discussion.
6. Closure:
Oral or written resolution of one or two basic questions
TEXT: Lois Lowry, The Giver. Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1993.
MOVIE: The Giver (2014) DVD 97 min. Philip Noyce, Director.
NOTE: During Socratic Seminar day(s), in a full ninety-minute period, four pairs of student coleaders each lead a fifteen-minute discussion of the reading. It is important that the teacher
approves the student co-leader questions before discussion to avoid wasting time on questions
that are not clear, are factual, or evaluative. (Discussion should center on solving problems, not
in trying to figure out what the problems are.) During the remaining time (if any) the teacher
leads a demonstration discussion (modeling) of one of his or her basic questions on the reading
of the lesson.
THE GIVER
Plot-check Quiz
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
CAST
Setting: 1950+
The Giver Jonus, The Receiver
The Chief Elder & Speaker The Elders
Jonas‘ father Jonas’ mother
Lily Asher
Fiona Rosemary
Directions: On your own paper answer each question in a complete sentence. Do not repeat the
question. The questions are in chronological order.
1. In the world of Sameness, why are children scolded for joking about being Released? 3
To be “Released,” as the pilot-in-training would be for his grievous error of flying over the
community, is a final decision of the community to disown a citizen, that is to be eliminated
permanently. p 2
2. Why does Jonas’ father bring home baby #36 (Gabriel) when a family is allowed only two
children?
His job as Nurturer allows him to give special care to “Uncertain” babies. 12
3. Why does Lily’s mother disapprove of her wish to become a Birthmother?
After producing three babies, she would become a Laborer for the remainder of her life. 22
4. Why does Jonas regard Asher and Fiona as “friends always”?
They get along so well together that they have bonded emotionally. 17, 18, 28
5. Why must “Stirrings” be reported and treated promptly?
Stirrings are the onset of puberty and sexual development. 17, 130
6. What pledge did Jonas’ family have to sign when Gabriel came to live with them? 42
Each member had to agree that they would not become emotionally attached to their temporary
guest.
7. What is “precision of language”?
Precision of language is literalism. The literal meaning of each word must be employed to avoid
figurative language--irony, sarcasm, metaphor, hyperbole, and others. “Precise” language
prevents lies. Ch. 7
8. What are two of the five qualities that qualified Jonas to be the next Receiver?
Jonas was chosen to be the next Receiver because of his intelligence, integrity, courage, wisdom,
and his “Capacity to see Beyond.” 62-3
9. Of the eight rules of Jonas’ training as Receiver, which one disturbs him most?
#8 “You may lie.” 70
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10. When Jonas begins his training in the Giver’s residence what so surprised him about its
furnishings?
His library has thousands of books. 74
11. What is the first memory that the Giver transmits to Jonas.
A sled ride down a hill of snow. 81
12. When the Giver explains to Jonas why the citizens chose Sameness and relinquished
sunshine, color, and differences, what is his fierce reply?
“We shouldn’t have!” 95
13. When Jonas’ laments the sameness of his life, why does the Giver tell him that “We really
had to protect people from wrong choices.”
Jonas then realizes there can be no freedom of choice in a world of sameness. 98
14. What is the Giver’s reply when Jonas asks him what causes him pain--why he must suffer so
much?
After Jonas cannot medicate his broken leg, the Giver transmits related memories does memories
of hunger, poverty, and warfare. 107, 110
15. According to the Giver, what does pain and intense suffering produce?
Wisdom. “Without wisdom I could not fulfill my function of advising the
Committee of Elders when they call upon me.” 111
16. Why is the Giver’s favorite memory of joy and happiness?
Family and the feeling of reciprocated love. 123, 126
17. What was Jonas’ first lie to his parents?
When he told them he understood their explanation about why he should not use the word “love”
to refer to family relationships. 127
18. Why was the Giver unable to train his own daughter, Rosemary, as his Receiver? 141
Because the Giver loved Rosemary, it broke his heart to transfer pain to her and when it became
unbearable, she went to the Chief Elder and asked for permission to be released. She was. I never
saw her again. 141
19. How does Jonas react when he witnesses his father releasing an identical twin in the nursery?
“He killed it!” He could not believe that he could kill any baby when his job some regarded as
the most important--to be a Nurturer. 150
20. How does the Giver explain to Jonas how his father and others could eliminate the young and
the old?
“They can’t help it. They know nothing!” exclaims the Giver. 153
21. When the Giver and Jonas conspire to reject Sameness, why does the Giver choose to remain
behind?
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The Giver believes that without his help the community could not change and become whole by
bearing one another’s burdens. They would destroy themselves. 156, 162
22. How does Gabriel set Jonas’ flight to Elsewhere into motion?
When his father tells Jonas that Gabriel will be Released, Jonas knows he must save him-whatever the cost. 165
23. Why is Jonas able to save Gabriel’s life? 166, 172
He became resourceful. found food and kept Gabriel calm by giving him soothing memories.
24.
How does Jonas finally save his own and Gabriel’s life when they appear to be lost? 178
He remembers and finds he sled in the snow that they take to the house in the forest.
25. When Jonas and Gabriel arrive at the home in the forest, what event is the family
celebrating?
“They celebrated love,” [Christmas as family] “where they were waiting for him; and that they
too were waiting for the baby. For the first time he heard something that he knew to be music.
He heard people singing.” 179-180
THE GIVER
Plot Summary
CAST
Jeff Bridges as The Giver
Meryl Streep as The Chief Elder
Brenton Thwaites as Jonas
Alexander Skarsgård as Jonas's father
Odeya Rush as Fiona
Katie Holmes as Jonas's mother
Taylor Swift as Rosemary
Cameron Monaghan as Asher
Jonas, who is 11 years old, is apprehensive about the upcoming Ceremony where he will be
assigned his job or his "assignment in the community." In his society little or no privacy is
allowed; even private houses have two-way intercoms which can be used to listen in for
infractions of the rules. However, the rules appear to be readily accepted by all, including Jonas.
So it is without real protest that he initially accepts his selection as the Receiver of Memories, a
job he is told will be filled with pain and the training for which will isolate him from his family
and friends forever.
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Yet, under the guidance of the present Receiver, a surprisingly kind man who has the same rare,
pale eyes as Jonas, the boy absorbs memories that induce for the first time feelings of true
happiness and love. Also, for the first time, Jonas knows what it is to see a rainbow, and to
experience snow and the thrill of riding a sled down a hill. But then he is given the painful
memories: war, pain, death, and starvation. These are memories of the Community's deep past.
Jonas learns that the Community engineered a society of "sameness" to protect its people against
this past, yet he begins to understand the tremendous loss he and his people have endured by
giving their memories away, embracing "sameness", and using "climate control".
In his "community," which is under extreme control, there is no suffering, hunger, war, and also
no color, music, or love. Everything is controlled by "the Elders," who are looked upon in a very
positive light, though they control whom you will marry, whom you receive as children, and
what you will be "assigned" as a job. The people in the community do not have the freedom to
choose. Jonas aches with this newfound wisdom and his desire for a life Elsewhere blossoms.
But the final blow for Jonas comes when he asks the Receiver (who now calls himself "The
Giver") what "release" is. The Giver says that he could show him, and allows Jonas to watch a
present-day tape of his own father, a seemingly kind and loving man, "releasing" a baby twin by
giving him a lethal injection. Like any other "aberration" from sameness, identical twins are
against the rules, so the smaller of the two is dispatched like garbage, without the one who
conducted the release understanding the true meaning of the action. Together, Jonas and the
Giver come to the understanding that the time for change is now, that the Community has lost its
way and must have its memories returned. The only way to make this happen is if Jonas leaves
the Community, at which time the memories he has been given will flood back into the people.
Jonas wants the Giver to escape with him, but the Giver insists that he will be needed to help the
people manage the memories, or they will destroy themselves. The Giver also wants to remain
behind so that when his work is done, he can be with his daughter, Rosemary, a girl with pale
eyes who ten years earlier had failed in her training to become the new Receiver of Memories
and who had asked to be released (the memories of pain and loneliness having overwhelmed
her).
The Giver devises a plot in which Jonas will escape to Elsewhere, an unknown land that exists
beyond the boundaries of the Communities. The Giver will make it appear as if Jonas drowned in
the river so that the search for him will be limited. In the meantime, the Giver will give Jonas
memories of strength and courage to sustain him and save up his meals as Jonas' food and water
supply for his journey.
Their plan is changed when Jonas learns that Gabriel, the baby staying with his family unit, will
be "released" the following morning. Jonas has become attached to the baby, who also has
unusual pale eyes, and feels he has no choice but to escape with the infant. Without the
memories of strength and courage promised by the Giver, Jonas steals his father's bike and
leaves with Gabriel to find the Elsewhere. Their escape ride is fraught with dangers, and the two
are near death from cold and starvation when they reach the border of what Jonas believes must
be Elsewhere. Using his ability to "see beyond," a gift that he does not quite understand, he finds
a sled waiting for him at the top of a snowy hill. He and Gabriel ride the sled down towards a
house filled with coloured lights and warmth and love and a Christmas tree, and for the first time
he hears something he knows must be music.
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SOCRATIC SEMINAR
Basic Question 1
How and why did people in the world of Sameness lose their humanity?
1. What is the purpose of the daily family ritual of sharing feelings? (4-6)
2. Why do people not prepare their own meals?
3. Why have sexual feelings (“stirrings”) been suppressed in the world of
Sameness? (37, 129)
4. Why are children assigned to families rather than born into them? (42)
5. Why does the world of Sameness need a Giver and a Receiver of Memory (64)?
6. Why is The Receiver’s Assignment the most important job of all? (67)
7. Has the world of Sameness been able to continue for so many generations because of role of
the Giver? (67, 77)
8. Why is any one allowed to take medication for pain? (69)
9. Why are there no books other than those needed for daily routine? (74)
10. Why had color, hills, and intemperate weather been eliminated? (83-85)
11. Why is the school curriculum limited to language and communications, commerce and
industry, science and technology, and civil procedures and government?
(89)
12. Why is there but one Receiver of Memories?
13. Why do the people find memories of any kind so painful?
14. How had the world of Sameness been able to isolate itself from other communities?
15. What does The Giver mean when he tells Jonas that people “know nothing”? (105, 153)
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Basic Question 2
Does Lois Lowry want us to regard The Giver as heroic or as a parody of the “Suffering Servant”
of the book of Isaiah?
“A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. . . Surely he has born our griefs and carried our
sorrows. . . for his generation who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living.”
(53:10-12).
If yes, then:
1. Why does Jonas have to explain to The Giver why it is not fair that color has been removed
from the world of Sameness? (97)
2. Why does The Giver tell Jonas that people cannot help killing the young and the old because
“They know nothing”? (153)
3. Why does The Giver do nothing to reform the world of Sameness?
4. Why doesn’t The Giver think about his own death very much?
5. What does The Giver mean by wisdom? (95)
6. Why does the Giver never disagree with a bad rule? (For example, when the committee
decided to relinquish sunshine, color, and differences.) (95)
If no, then:
7. Why does The Giver submit willingly to a life of loneliness and mental suffering for the sake
of the community? (102, 103,139)
8. Why does The Giver tell Jonas that loneliness and not being able to share with his spouse is a
most difficult part of his life?
9. When Jonas decides to leave with Gabriel, why does The Giver stay behind or the sake of the
community?
10. Why does The Giver frankly admit that his greatest suffering is retaining the memories of
mankind? (104, 110,113)
11. Why does The Giver so admire the heroic death of Rosemary? (151)
12. Why does The Giver give up even his last most treasured memory of music to Jonas?
(122-125)
Basic Question 3
Does Lowry intend Jonas to be a model of the Jonah who saved the wicked people of Nineveh,
and Gabriel to be the Christ child of the first Christmas?
1. Why does the story conclude with the narrator saying that “they [those celebrating
Christmas in the home in the forest] were waiting for him [Jonas]; and that they were waiting,
too, for the baby.” (180)
2. When David hears music for the first time, why does the narrator then say that behind Jonas,
“Across the vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left [the world of Sameness],
he thought he heard music too”? (180)
3. Why does Lowy have Jonas risk his life to save baby Gabriel?
4. Why is Jonas described as a Giver while he is still The Receiver? (176)
5. Why does Jonas want the freedom to make choices? (95)
6. Why does Jonas want everyone to have the freedom to make choices? (95-7)
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
7. Is Jonas’ statement that caring is “the meaning of everything” meant to be an allusion to the
Golden Rule?
Basic Question 4
Why is “precision of language” so important in the world of Sameness?
1. Why is precision of language one of the most important tasks for children of and beyond to
learn? (55)
2. Does using “precise language” mean being literal? (70, 71, 75, 89)
3. If so, why is irony, metaphor, and white lies prohibited?
4. Does language define or reflect experience in the world of Sameness? (89, 95)
5. Why is it inappropriate to use the word love in the community? (127-8)
6. Why was Jonas’ first lie about why it is wrong to use the word love? (127)
7. Why is no one permitted to lie in world of Sameness--except the Giver and the Receiver?
8. When Jonas becomes the Receiver, why does the Book of Rules allow him to lie? (68, 127,
158)
Basic Question 5
Although some significant changes were made, why does Lois Lowy approve the 2014 movie
version of her story?
1. Why does the movie open with only five rules posted?
2. Why are only four of eight rules of Jonas’ training for Receiver posted?
3. Why do the Guards obey The Speaker’s order to eliminate Jonas and Gabriel?
4. Does she regard Jeff Bridges role as the Giver more instrumental than the role of the Receiver
(Brenton Thwaites).
5. As the Chief Eldder and Speaker how does Meryl Streep advance the conflict between the
Receiver and his family to escape to Elsewhere?
6. Why does Asher allow Jonas and Gabriel to escape death?
7. Like the novel, why does the story conclude with the narrator saying that “they [those
celebrating Christmas in the home in the forest] were waiting for him [Jonas]; and that they were
waiting, too, for the baby.” (180)
8. Why does Jeff Bridges (The Giver) “think it ironic that movies like “Hunger Games” and
“Divergent” were inspired by The Giver”?
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Chapter 12
Answers to “Harrison Bergeron”: Plot-Check Quiz
Directions: Answer each question in a brief but complete sentence. Do not repeat the question.
1. What two kinds of equality had been achieved in the year 2081?
People in 2081 were not only equal before God and the law, “they were equal every which
way”—everyone was virtually the same.
2. In what two ways had these two kinds of equality been achieved?
Passage of three Constitutional Amendments (211–213) and the vigilance of the U.S.
Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers, brought about all this equality.
3. Why is Harrison such a problem for the authorities of 2081?
At fourteen, Harrison Bergeron, a genius, an athlete and seven feet tall, outgrew handicaps faster
than the H-G men could think of and apply them.
4. What kind of handicaps did George have?
George has a little mental handicap radio in his ear to keep him from taking unfair advantage of
his brain.
5. Why does Harrison’s mother, Hazel, have no handicaps?
Hazel is already perfectly normal in every way.
6. What is George’s opinion of the government that handicapped him?
George defends the government that handicaps him because it eliminates competition among
citizens as long as they observe the law to keep on their handicaps.
7. How does Harrison revolt against the system of handicaps?
On public television, in a recording studio, Harrison declares himself Emperor and ordered
everyone so do as he said because “he was a greater ruler than any man who ever lived.” He then
overcomes the laws of gravity and motion.
8. Does anyone join Harrison’s revolt?
At his request to be his Empress, a “blindingly beautiful” ballerina arose to join Harrison’s
defiance of the laws of gravity and motion.
9. Why does Harrison’s revolt fail?
Diana Moon Glampers enters the television studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shot and
immediately kills Harrison and the ballerina. After reloading, she orders everyone to put back on
their handicaps. Everyone does so.
10. Do George and Hazel realize what had happened to their son at the story’s end?
Not really. Hazel tells George that “something real sad” happened on television while he had
gone to the kitchen to get a can of beer. The story ends with George telling his wife to forget sad
things.
Answers to Three Kinds of Questions: “Harrison Bergeron” Exercise 1
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INT
FACT
INT
INT
EVAL
INT
INT
EVAL
FACT
FACT
1.
Why does Vonnegut begin the story by making a distinction between equality before God
and law and equality “every which way”?
2.
How is equality “every which way” maintained in 2081
3.
Why is competition regarded as unfair in 2081?
4.
What kind of ruler and government does Harrison want in 2081?
5.
Although everyone is unique in America, in what ways are we still equal?
6.
Why does Hazel think people should be rewarded just for trying really hard?
7.
Although George’s intelligence is way above normal, why does he still defend the
government that handicaps him?
8.
Should unqualified people be hired for a job?
9.
How does the narrator describe what “normal” is?
10.
At the end, why don’t Harrison’s parents realize what happened to their son?
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Answers to Qualities of Good Discussion Questions: “Harrison Bergeron” Exercise 2
GO (GOOD) if the question a good interpretive question
NC if the question is NOT CLEAR
NS if the question is NOT SPECIFIC and could bed asked of any story
LD for LACKS DOUBT because it cannot be answered in more than one way.
NI for NOT INTERPRETIVE because it is factual or evaluation.
NA if it is not answerable on basis of the text alone
NS
LD
FACT
GO
NC
EVAL
FACT
INT
NC
GO
GO
EVAL
NS
NA
GO
What is the role of Hazel in the story?
1.
2.
Is Vonnegut being sarcastic about everyone being equal in 2081?
3.
Why does Harrison’s revolt fail?
4.
Why does Vonnegut have Harrison’s revolt fail?
5.
Is Vonnegut using George? (What does “using” mean?)
6.
Should people be rewarded for trying really hard for doing something?
7.
Were Hazel and George arrested for their son’s revolt against the government?
8.
Does Vonnegut want us to regard Harrison as a danger to society?
9.
Why is Harrison such a jerk? (When is someone a “jerk”?)
10.
Why does the government promote mediocrity but not excellence?
11.
Why is George preoccupied with faulty technology?
12.
Should it be easier to amend the U.S. Constitution?
What is Vonnegut saying about the future of our society?
13.
14.
How did the Handicapper General get her job?
15.
Why does the narrator tell us that by 2081 equality “every which way” has been achieved
by Amendments 211, 212, and 213?
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Film Exercise for “Harrison Bergeron”
2081 DVD (2009) 30 min
A short film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron, 2081 depicts a dystopian future in which,
thanks to three Amendments to the Constitution and the unceasing vigilance of the United States
Handicapper General, everyone is “finally equal . . .” unfair advantage of their brains. It is a tale of
triumph and tragedy about a broken family, a brutal government, and an act of defiance that changes
everything. Featuring an original score performed by the world-renowned Kronos Quartet (Requiem for a
Dream) and narration by Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson (Far From Heaven, Goodnight and
Good Luck), 2081 stars James Cosmo (Braveheart, Trainspotting), Julie Hagerty (Airplane!, What About
Bob?) and Armie Hammer (The Social Network).
Plot
The film takes place in the in American society of the year 2081, in which all individual inequality has
been erased by the fictional 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution and the “unceasing
vigilance of the United States Handicapper General”, after that cabinet office was created to ensure a
“golden age of equality” in the United States. Excellence and exceptionalness in the world is destroyed in
the name of equality, achieved through the use of “handicaps”—physical devices used to nullify every
inborn advantage any person might have over another: “The strong wear weights, the beautiful wear
masks and the intelligent wear earpieces that fire off loud noises to keep them from taking unfair
advantage of their brains.”
Following closely with Vonnegut’s original story, 2081 begins with George and Hazel Bergeron—parents
of the exceptionally strong, seven foot intelligent, handsome Harrison Bergeron—sitting in their living
room, watching the ballet on television. George carries many “handicaps”, wearing an earpiece and heavy
weights to counteract his intelligence and strength, respectively. Hazel, being perfectly average and
capable of only carrying thoughts in “short bursts,” wears none.
Six years prior, Harrison was taken in a raid on their home by a SWAT team from the office of the
Handicapper General. Sitting in his sofa, George tries to think about the event, but can’t quite bring
himself to recall exactly what happened in between the painful intermittent bursts sent through his
earpiece. He continues to watch the ballet instead. The ballet is interrupted by a government news report
read by a news anchor with a severe speech impediment about the escaped and dangerous fugitive
Harrison Bergeron. George watches the report with a hint of interest. The report concludes and returns to
the regularly scheduled ballet, featuring delicate ballerinas heavily weighed down to ensure that they are
only as graceful as the average person. Just then, loud stomps can be heard approaching the stage, as the
ballerinas cower in terror. Harrison Bergeron marches down the aisle and leaps onto the stage with a
heavy thud, almost unhindered by the weight of his extraordinary handicaps. In a deviation from
Vonnegut’s story, he begins his address to the audience in the theater and those watching at home by
claiming to have a bomb under the stage, the detonator to which he holds in his hand. The audience
listens to his address in shock as he peels off his handicaps and chooses a volunteer ballerina to do the
same. He takes her hand, and for a few brief moments, the two dance, unhindered, as the audience
watches, mystified by the pair’s unbridled grace and elegance as they defy the law of gravity.
The enforcers of the Handicapper General, keen to keep this display under wraps, surround the theater
and quickly cut the video feed to the television audience as the Handicapper General herself marches
down the aisle with a shotgun. On cue, Harrison pushes the button of his “detonator,” which rather than
detonating the dummy bomb under the stage, sends a signal to a device that overrides the video block. He
looks into the camera with a proud but slightly somber grin. George smiles back at the television.
Unaware that the video feed is again being broadcast, the Handicapper General fires the shotgun, instantly
killing Harrison and his ballerina. The SWAT team leader, having been unable to stop her before she
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
fired, informs her of their mistake. In surprise and embarrassment, she looks around in realization that this
gruesome, atrocious act of oppression has been broadcast for all to see. George stares heartbrokenly into
the television as the signal is again blocked, until his train of thought is again broken by the screeching of
his headset; true to Vonnegut’s telling of the story, the gravity of the moment is lost on them, and they
slip back into their life of equality “every which way.”
Cast:
Tammy Bruce as the United States Handicapper General.
Patricia Clarkson as the narrator.
James Cosmo as George Bergeron, Harrison’s father. George’s intelligence is way above normal, so he is
forced to wear a handicap radio in his ear that sends out a sharp noise every twenty seconds or so, to
prevent George from taking unfair advantage of his brain.
Julie Hagerty as Hazel Bergeron, Harrison’s mother. Hazel’s intelligence is perfectly average without
handicaps; she cannot think of anything except in short bursts.
Armie Hammer as Harrison Bergeron. A genius and a fantastic athlete, Harrison has received both the
heaviest physical handicaps and the most distracting mental handicaps of any citizen. In Vonnegut’s
story, he is fourteen years old when he is taken by the “H-G men” and escapes a short time later; in the
movie his escape takes place six years after his arrest.
Plot Changes that Vonnegut Would Likely Reject
1. The film begins with an introduction which deplores a world in which there are no heroes. Because it
does not define heroism, it implies that Harrison’s revolt and the ballerina who voluntarily joins him were
pathetic failures.
2. In the original plot, when Harrison begins his revolt by removing his handicaps, he invites a ballerina
to join him to defy the law of gravity, he threatens only the orchestra to play better but ignores the
audience. In contrast in 2981 he begins his revolt by addressing the audience in the theater and those
watching at home by claiming to have a bomb under the stage, the detonator to which he holds in his
hand. The audience listens to his address in shock as he peels off his handicaps and chooses a volunteer
ballerina to do the same. He takes her hand, and for a few brief moments, the two dance, unhindered, as
the audience watches, mystified by the pair’s unbridled grace and elegance as they defy gravity.
3. The enforcers of the Handicapper General, keen to keep this display under wraps, surround the theater
and quickly cut the video feed to the television audience as the Handicapper General herself marches
down the aisle with a shotgun. On cue, Harrison pushes the button of his “detonator”, which rather than
detonating the dummy bomb under the stage, sends a signal to a device that overrides the video block, He
looks into the camera with a proud but slightly somber grin. George smiles back at the television.
Unaware that the video feed is again being broadcast, the Handicapper General fires the shotgun, killing
Harrison and his ballerina the SWAT team leader, having been unable to stop her before she fired,
informs her of their mistake. In surprise and embarrassment, she looks around realizing that this
gruesome, atrocious act of suppression has been broadcast for all to see. George stares heartbrokenly into
the television as the signal is again blocked, until his train of thought is again broken by the screeching of
his headset; true to Vonnegut’s telling of the story, the gravity of the moment is lost on them, and they
slip back into their world of sameness.
4. The 2081 movie suggests that George momentarily recognizes his son, Harrison, as he smiles at him
when he addresses the audience.
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Chapter 13
Answers to Because of Winn-Dixie Plot-Check Quiz
1. How does India Opal Buloni happen to find Winn-Dixie?
FACT: She claims him as her own dog when he runs into a Winn-Dixie food store in Naomi,
Florida.
2. How does Opal get her father to allow her to keep Winn-Dixie?
INT: She at first asks her father a question if “less fortunate” people need help. After his positive
answer, she then tells him that Winn-Dixie is a stray among the “less fortunate” (pages 16–19).
3. What is one of the ten important things that her father tells Opal about her mama?
FACT: See the list in Chapter 4.
4. Why does Opal speak so often about her mama?
INT: Several possible answers: Her mother had abandoned her and her father when she was
three. She cannot understand why her mother would have left her and hopes continually that her
mother will one day return.
5. Why does her father allow Opal to bring her dog into the church?
FACT: To finish his sermon, he orders Opal to bring her dog into the church to stop his howling.
6. After Winn-Dixie interrupts the sermon, for whom does Opal’s ask his congregation to pray?
FACT: He asks them to pray for the mouse that Dixie had caught.
7. After her father’s sermon, what does Opal tell God?
FACT: She tells God that she is lonely and wanted to find some new friends and also prays that
the mouse didn’t get hurt.
8. Who becomes Opal’s first true friend?
FACT: Miss Fanny tells Opal an astounding story about a bear that had invaded the
library.
9. How does Opal become friends with the person in question 8?
FACT: Miss Fanny Block, the librarian.
10. Why does Opal go to Gertrude’s Pet Store?
FACT: Opal wants to buy a leash and collar for her dog.
11. After her first visit to Gertrude’s Store, why is Opal suddenly happy?
FACT: She suddenly realizes that she has a dog, a job, and her first new friend, Miss Fanny.
12. How does Opal happen to meet Gloria Dump?
FACT: When Winn-Dixie wanders into her yard, Opal follows him to bring him back home.
13. How can Gloria Dump see Opal with her heart?
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
INT: Since Gloria is nearly blind, when she asks Opal to tell her everything about herself, she
says she will have to see her with her heart. Gloria later tells Opal not to judge people by their
past but by what they are doing now. Her heart will tell her if she can trust and befriend Opal.
14. Based on what you know about Opal in the first nine chapters, would you want to become her friend?
If so, how would you go about it? If not, why not?
EVAL: The question asks for an opinion based on personal experience.
15. Is God important in your life?
EVAL: The question asks for an opinion based on personal experience.
Because of Winn-Dixie: Plot Summary
Chapter 1
“My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer. My daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box
of macaroni-and-cheese and I came back with a dog”
Chapter 2
Setting: Opal and her preacher father moved from Watley to Naomi, Florida to be the preacher at the
Open Arms Baptist Church. Mr. Alfred, manager of the Friendly Corners Trailer Park, made an
“exception” and allowed them to move in.Opal sweet-talks her daddy into allowing Winn-Dixie to live
with them because he was a stray and among the “less fortunate.”
Chapter 3
Opal gives Winn-Dixie a much-needed bath.
Chapter 4
Opal learns and memorizes ten important things about her mother who left her and her father when she
was three. She longs for the day when her mother might return.
Chapter 5
Because Winn-Dixie cannot stand to be left alone, everywhere the preacher and Opal went, they took him
along-even to church. The preacher insisted, however, that the dog remain outside of the church which
had formerly been a Pick-It-Quick store. Since there were no pews, people had to bring their own folding
chairs. The preacher finally allowed Opal to bring WD into the church because his howling interfered
with his preaching. When WD catches a mouse and lays it at the preacher’s feet, he picks it up and asks
the congregation to pray for it. And they do! Opal prays first prays that her mother would some day return
to hear the hilarious story of WD’s catching a mouse in church and then tells God that she would like to
get to know more kids. Those that she knew, Dunlap and Steve Dewberry, Amanda Wilkinson, and
Sweetie Pie Thomas (only five) merely tolerate her.
Chapter 6
Opal spends a lot of time at the Herman W. Block Memorial Library. There she finds her first, true friend
in the librarian, Miss Fanny Block. When Miss Fanny sees WD standing on his hind legs looking in the
window, she tells Opal he reminds her of a bear that once wandered into the library.
Chapter 7
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At length and in detail, Miss Fanny relates the story of a bear that invaded the library when she was a girl
as young as Opal. She drove him away by throwing a book (War and Peace) at him while screaming, “Be
gone!” As he ran back to the woods, he took the book with him-to Fanny’s dismay and continual teasing
that followed her for years. Opal soon realizes that Miss Fanny is also lonely because all her friends were
dead and gone. She is delighted when Opal proposes that they all be friends. Amanda Wilkinson then
enters to ask for another book while ignoring Opal’s presence. When she asks if dogs are allowed in the
library, Miss Fanny tells her, “Certain ones, a select few.”
Chapter 8
When Opal goes to Gertrude’s Pet store to buy her dog a collar and a leash, she makes two more friends,
“because of Winn-Dixie.” Otis, the store clerk allows Opal to bring her dog in to see how Gertrude, a
parrot named after the store’s owner would react. To his astonishment as well as Sweetie Pie Thomas’s, it
lands on top of Winn-Dixie’s head. Opal concludes the chapter by saying: “All of a sudden, I felt happy. I
had a dog. I had a job. I had Miss Fanny for a friend, and I had my first invitation to a party—even if it
was from a five year-old.
Chapter 9
“Just about everything that happened to me that Summer happened because of Winn-Dixie” For example,
WD introduces Opal to Gloria Dump who is, according to the Dewberry boys, a witch. Opal finds WD
eating a peanut butter sandwich out of the hand of the witch who invites Opal to have lunch with her.
Opal soon discovers that Gloria is no witch but an old, lonely, nearly blind black woman who lives alone.
She asks Opal to tell her everything about herself, “so as I can see you with my heart.”
Chapter 10
Opal tells Gloria everything: about moving to Naomi, leaving friends behind, her mama leaving her, her
preacher father, finding Winn-Dixie, her first new friend Miss Fanny, Otis and Sweetie Pie’s party, and
that Stevie called her a witch.
Gloria believes that Opal has more of her mama in herself than she knows-her talent for growing things.
She proposes that they plant a tree. When Opal returns home, she tells the preacher about all that had
happened on that event full day.
Chapter 11
That night, a violent thunder storm so frightens Winn-Dixie that he cannot be calmed until the storm
passes. The preacher tells Opal that his fear is pathological and that they will have to keep an eye on him
so that he doesn’t run away during another storm. Opal suddenly realizes that she loves her father for yet
another reason-his love for WD.
Chapter 12
When Opal arrives at Gertrude’s Pets for her first day of work, she finds all of the animals out of their
cages standing stone-like. They are listening with rapt attention to the mesmerizing music of Otis’s guitar.
Opal learns that Otis has been in jail and wonders if her daddy would approve her working for a
“criminal.” Opal has found yet another story that she would love to tell her mama. Sweetie Pie asks Opal
if Otis is a “magic man.”
Chapter 13
The Dewberry boys tell Opal that their mama told them she spends too much time at the pet shop, at the
library, and talking to old ladies. Opal curtly tells them she can’t tell her what to do because she’s not her
mama. Gloria tells Opal that she should make more of an effort to get to know the Dewberry boys.
Chapter 14
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Gloria shows Opal her “mistake tree” a tree full of empty beer and whiskey bottles. She hung them to
remind her of her past drinking. Opal confides in her that her mama had a problem with drinking. Gloria
then tells Opal that you can’t always judge people by what they have done but by what they are doing
now.
Chapter 15
When Opal asks Miss Fanny to suggest a book that she could read to Gloria, she suggests Gone With the
Wind. The Civil War reminds Miss Fanny about the story of Littmus W. Block. She invites Amanda to
listen to her story with Opal.
Chapter 16
Littmus W. Block went off to war at fourteen “to be a hero.” But he soon found out the truth: war was
horrific and walked back home when it was over only to discover his home had been burned to the ground
and his entire family dead. He had lost everything he loved.
Chapter 17
To survive, Littmus planned a candy factory on Fairville Road, the birthplace of the family fortune. There
Miss Fanny’s great-grandfather manufactured the Littmus Lozenge that became world famous. The candy
was unique because it had a secret ingredient-sorrow. Although it tasted sweet, it would recall to the
person eating it some past sorrow in his or her life. Opal wonders why the candy made Amanda think of
Carson.
Chapter 18
When Gloria has a Littmus lozenge, it made her think of “people leaving.” It makes Opal’s father think of
her mother. He tells Opal that she should apologize to the Dewberry boys for calling them baldheaded
babies. Her father also tells Opal that Carson, Amanda’s five-year old brother, drowned last year.
Chapter 19
When Otis eats a Littmus candy he begins to cry over his time in jail. He freely tells Opal that he had
been in jail for hitting a policeman who would not allow him to play his guitar in public. The Littmus
candy makes Sweetie Pie think about not having her own dog.
Chapter 20
When Gloria hears stories about Amanda and Otis, she remarks, “I believe, sometimes, that the whole
world has an aching heart.” While reading about the Barbecue scene in Gone With the Wind, Opal
suddenly thinks it’s time for a party. Gloria agrees but only if Opal will invite the Dewberry boys and
Amanda. Sweetie Pie accepts the invitation immediately but Otis has to be talked into it.
Chapter 21
After inviting everyone to the party that she knew, Opal wished desperately that her mama could come to
the party too. Miss Fanny arrives first, then Sweetie Pie with her mother. The preacher shows up dressed
in coat and tie. Amanda appears shy and “not as mean as usual.” Finally, Otis arrives with a huge jar of
pickles and Gertrude on his shoulder.
Chapter 22
As the party begins, there is a far-off rumble of thunder. In minutes, the rain comes pouring down driving
everyone inside.
Chapter 23
Everyone takes something inside Gloria’s house as the storm increases. In the excitement, Opal loses
track of Winn-Dixie who has disappeared. She feels so guilty and upset that Gloria tries to reassure her:
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
“There ain’t no way you can hold on to something that wants to go. You can only love what you got
while you got it.”
Chapter 24
Opal and her father begin searching, feverishly and anxiously for Winn-Dixie. While searching, like the
list she has of her mama, Opal begins to make a list of ten things she knew about her dog. She suddenly
realizes that no list could ever begin to reveal the real person. Unable to find their dog, Opal’s father
wants to return to the party but Opal cannot believe he wants to “give up.” She is so upset, that she
shouts: “You always give up! I bet you didn’t even go out looking for my mama when she left. I bet you
just let her run off too.” At these scolding words, the preacher breaks down tearfully telling Opal he did
all that he could have done to find her mother. Opal embraces him and then asks the question she never
before had the nerve to ask: “Do you think she’s ever going to come back?” His reply is entirely honest:
“No, I do not. I hoped and prayed and dreamed about it for years. But I don’t think she’ll ever come
back.” Opal then recalls Gloria’s words about loving what we have while we have it. This thought jogs
the preacher’s memory: “When I told you your mama took everything with her, I forgot one thing, one
very important thing that she left behind—she left you! Thank God your mama left me you.”
Chapter 25
When Opal and her father return to Gloria’s house shouting “We didn’t find him,” Gloria tells them they
could find him because he was with them all along. They explain in detail the “story” of how they
discovered Winn-Dixie hiding under Gloria’s bed. As everyone joins in singing hymns, felt her heart
swell up inside her with pure happiness.
Chapter 26
The story closes with Opal going into Gloria’s yard. As she looks at her mistake tree and then the sky, she
tells her mother she and her father miss her very much but that now, her “heart doesn’t feel empty
anymore. It’s full all the way up.” When Opal looks at her own tree, she is surprised to see how much it
had grown.
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Answers to “Bad Characters”: Plot-Check Quiz
1. How do Emily Vanderpool and Lottie Jump first meet?
FACT: Lottie boldly walked into Emily’s home to steal a cake (page 262)
2. Why is Emily immediately attracted to and fascinated with Lottie?
INT: A good interpretive question that will evoke several good answers. (262–264)
3. What is an important difference between where the Vanderpool and Jump families live?
FACT: Emily lives in the wealthy part of Adams, Colorado while Lottie lives in Arapahoe Creek,
the poor section of town. (264)
4. How does Emily respond when she first finds out that Lottie thinks stealing is a picnic?
FACT: “Stealing is a sin. You get put in jail for it.”
5. After Emily realizes that Lottie is “big trouble,” why doesn’t she avoid her?
INT: A good interpretive question that will evoke several good answers. (273 and 277)
6. Why does Emily betray Lottie in Woolworth’s?
INT: A good interpretive question that will evoke several good answers. (278–280)
7. Why does Lottie betray Emily at the same time?
INT: A good interpretive question that will evoke several good answers.
8. Like Emily, would you have betrayed Lottie?
EVAL: A question about personal moral values.
9. After Emily had been arrested, why does Emily’s father take her to Judge Bay?
INT: A good interpretive question. (282)
10. What does Emily learn from her experience with Lottie Jump?
FACT: She says that she began to have more than one friend at a time and “never again when that
terrible need to be alone arose did I let it fly.” (282)
Copyright 2015 Taylor & Francis, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Answers to “Bad Characters”: Review Quiz on Qualities of Good Questions
GOOD if the question would lead to a good discussion.
NC if the question is NOT CLEAR
NS if the question is NOT SPECIFIC and could be asked of any story.
LD for LACKS DOUBT since it cannot be answered in more than one way.
FACT for FACTUAL and cannot be discussed.
EVAL for EVALUATION that could be answered without reading the story.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing this story?
NS: This could be asked of any story.
2. Does Emily ever see Lottie again?
FACT: No. After her arrest, Emily says she never saw her again. (page 281)
3. Does Stafford intend her story to be entirely comical and satirical?
GOOD interpretive question. Yes can be as correct as no if based on the text.
4. Do you think the girl thought what was going to happen happened anyway?
NC: Which girl? What is “what was going to happen” anyway?
5. Have you ever embarrassed you parents by doing something illegal?
EVAL: This is a question about personal experience, not the story.
6. Was the judge trying to guilt the girl for not going to the police?
NC: Again, which girl? And what does “guilt the girl” mean? Getting help?
7. Does Emily think that Lottie is kinda dumb?
LD: Yes. She sees her brains falling out of her head when she is caught stealing. (280)
8. What kind of relationship do Emily and Lottie have?
NS: Can be asked of any two characters in any story; and merely naming two characters is not
enough. Question 10 is a good question (problem) about their relationship.
9. Does the deaf-and-dumb act have something to do with a baby?
NC: What deaf and dumb act and how would it have anything to do with a baby?
10. Why is Emily attracted to and repulsed by Lottie?
GOOD basic interpretive question for discussion.
11. Does Emily forgive Lottie for getting her in trouble?
FACT: No. She says: “I hate her to this day.” (281)
12. Why does Stafford have Lottie rewarded for stealing but Emily shamed and punished?
GOOD interpretive question for discussion. (280–282)
13. Like Emily, would you have helped Lottie shoplift?
EVAL: This is a question about personal values, not the story.
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Chapter 14
Answers to Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret: Plot-Check Quiz
1. In school, what year-long individual study project does Margaret choose?
Margaret choose to study people’s beliefs, which turns out to be more than she can handle as she
finds out a lot about herself as well.
2. Why don’t Margaret’s parents and grandparents get along?
Because Margaret’s mother, Barbara married outside her Jewish religion and became Christian,
her parents all but disowned her.
3. Why does Margaret like and feel comfortable with her Jewish grandmother?
Her grandmother often referred to her as “my Margaret” or her “Jewish girl” and was more
accepting of her as well as her son’s interfaith marriage.
4. Why does Margaret run out of a church in tears after she stumbles into a confessional where an unseen
priest asks about her “problems”?
Margaret thought at first that the priest is God himself speaking to her and, lost for words, says
only “I am sorry.”
5. What “problem” does Margaret share with four friends in their PTS group?
They are all anxious about getting their first bra and having their first period.
6. What disturbance at home causes Margaret to stop speaking to God for some time?
She had found herself in the middle of a confrontation between her parents and her visiting
maternal grandparents, Mary and Paul Hutchins. She more or less blames God for putting her in
the middle of such a conflict. Margaret may think she has to choose between being Jewish or
Christian.
7. How does Margaret know when her main growing-up “problem” is solved?
While in the bathroom, Margaret finds spots of blood in her underwear.
8. What does Margaret do first when she discovers that her period has finally arrived?
She calls for her mom who was prepared for this moment by having pads.
9. What does Margaret do next as she puts on a pad?
She begins confiding in God again in prayer.
10. What is Margaret’s final prayer that Judy Blume uses to end her story?
“Are you still here God? It’s me, Margaret. I know you’re there God. I know you wouldn’t have
missed this for anything! Thank you God. Thanks an awful lot.
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Chapter 15
Answers to “The Stone Boy”: Plot-Check Quiz
1. pick peas
2. ten
3. seventeen
4. small
5. Arnold
6. rifle
7. bag a duck
8. in which Eugene is fatally shot
9. get help
10. delays
11. “Eugene is dead.”
12. joking
13. Eugene is dead
14. his delay
15. unfeeling
16. Uncle Andy
17. looked like him
18. angry
19. why Arnold had delayed in getting help
20. he was picking peas
21. moron
22. reasonable
23. shame and ridicule him
24. distraught
25. nothing
26. fright
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