September 5-9

1. "Killings" by Dubus

a. Discuss the significance of the title. Why is "Killings" a more appropriate title than "Killers"?

b. How might "Killings" be considered a love story as well as a murder story?

2. "Young Goodman Brown" by Hawthorne

a. Discuss the symbolic value of the forest in the story. How are the descriptions of the forest contrasted with those of Salem village?

b. Near the end of the story, the narrator asks, "Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?" Was it a dream or did it actually happen? How does the answer to this question affect your reading of the story?

August 29--September 2

Watership Down

1. Discuss the qualities of a good leader. Give real-life examples. What are some qualities of "bad" leaders? Examples?

2. If you could create your own form of government, how would you do it? What laws would you make? Customs? Holidays? Be creative!