1.   What impression do you gain of the narrator from the opening paragraph of the story? 

2.     The different members of the family reacted differently towards John’s death. In your opinion, what is the narrator’s reaction?

3.   How well does the narrator accept his losses (e.g. his friend’s death when he was a child, and now his son’s death)?

4.     What image is given of John, the narrator’s son?

5.     How is Luke Slater, the murderer, depicted?

6.     How does Luke try to defend himself when the narrator confronts him?

7.     Is there any change in Luke’s attitude by the end of the narrator’s visit? Account for your answer with expressions from the story.

8.     The use of the pronoun ‘it’ referring to Luke Slater reveals the narrator’s feelings towards this character. Do you agree with this statement? Why (not)? 

9.  At a certain point in the story, the narrator starts using the pronoun ‘he’ (instead of ‘it’) to refer to Luke. In your opinion, why does that happen?

10. Explain how the narrator’s closing words can be said to reveal a totally different man from the first lines of the story.

1.   What impression do you gain of the narrator from the opening paragraph of the story? 

2.     The different members of the family reacted differently towards John’s death. In your opinion, what is the narrator’s reaction?

3.   How well does the narrator accept his losses (e.g. his friend’s death when he was a child, and now his son’s death)?

4.     What image is given of John, the narrator’s son?

5.     How is Luke Slater, the murderer, depicted?

6.     How does Luke try to defend himself when the narrator confronts him?

7.     Is there any change in Luke’s attitude by the end of the narrator’s visit? Account for your answer with expressions from the story.

8.     The use of the pronoun ‘it’ referring to Luke Slater reveals the narrator’s feelings towards this character. Do you agree with this statement? Why (not)? 

9.  At a certain point in the story, the narrator starts using the pronoun ‘he’ (instead of ‘it’) to refer to Luke. In your opinion, why does that happen?

10. Explain how the narrator’s closing words can be said to reveal a totally different man from the first lines of the story.