Samuel (pg 64)

For reference

Questions:

Q. Did the man who pulled the cord intend on killing the kids?
A. It is unclear whether or not that was his ultimate intention, but what is clear is that he wanted to shut them up more than anything else. (see the answer to the other question for a continuation of this response.

Q. Who is the protagonist in this story? Explain. (i.e. the main character)
A. Samuel is the protagonist. He is the one who moves the story along, who has active parts in the story, and he is the one who is remembered after he dies.

Q. What do you know about the setting of "Samuel"? What can you infer about the neighbourhood?
A. This neighbourhood is a bit rough, and is racially mixed but the races are wary of each other.

Q. In the fourth paragraph we are told the "three of the boys were Nagro and the fourth was something else." Is race important in this story? Is Samuel "Negro" or something else?

Q. Exactly why did a man walk "in a citizenly way to the end of the car, where he pulled the the mergency cord"? Do you think that author blames him? Or do you blame the boys? Or anyone? Explain.
A. He wanted to shut the boys up, not kill them. He wanted peace and quiet, and the boys were interrupting that. I do not blame him for wanting some peace and quiet, but I do blame him for the boys' deaths. The boys, on the other hand, were themselves engaged in a very unsafe activity and so were responsible for their deaths.

Q. Find an example of irony and foreshadowing.

Q. What idea/theme does the last paragraph develop?
A. There is always a chance for a new beginning, but the second time around is never the same as the first time.