1. What do you think the authour's purpose was when he made the reader believe that the Judge was leaning towards a big punishment for Paul towards the beginning of his verdict but then ended it off with a light sentence, stating there wasn't enough evidence?
2. If you were Danny, do you think you would have been angry at your mother for how things had turned out? Why or why not?
3. What do you feel would've been a good way for Danny to take out his anger of all the changes that have happened in his life instead of lashing out at his mother?
4. Do you honestly believe Catherine's husband, Paul, would have stopped abusing her? If you were in her situation, would you have forgiven him and given him another chance?
5. In the text, quotes Dr. Hamilton had said about Danny's father had been repeatedly flowing through Danny's head. "He's a bully. He's a dangerous man. He's like a spider. We're in the category of homicide prevention. My gut tells me Mr. McMillan is one of the most dangerous men I have ever met." How do you think Danny felt when he heard such cruel words about his father?
6. Why do you think it was so hard for Danny to accept the fact that his father was abusing his mother?
7. Do you think Danny's mother could have faced the problem with a better solution instead of changing her identity and moving away? If so, what solution do you suggest?
8. Do you believe the results of physical abuse portrayed in this book are similar to physical abuse in families today? How?
9. Exaplin why Danny's mother would feel the Canadian legal justice system failed to protect her and her family when she finally had the courage to speak up. Relate to a real situation in which the legal justice system failed to give a criminal an appropraite punishment.
10. When Danny's father, Paul, had gotten away with a light sentence of 14 months in jail, he locked eyes with his wife and sneered his lips. What do you think this facial expression indicated?
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ReplyDeleteIt must have been hard for Danny to accept the fact that his father was abusing his mother because he didn't know his father was that type of a person. In your character analysis, you mentioned that Danny and his father had a lot of fun together. Danny had trusted his father. Also, I'm sure no one would want to hear that their father was abusing their mother for a long time. Everyone wants to have a normal, happy family. I think when Danny heard the shocking news, he was in denial. He didn't want to let his father go to jail because it meant he wouldn't see his father for a very long time. I'm sure any child in this situation would've reacted the same way. I know if I found out my father was an abuser, I wouldn't want to believe it. You wouldn't want to realize that someone you love, someone that you had looked up to, and someone you had trusted, could be such a cruel person. I can relate to this because it's basically like a betrayal of trust. I had a best friend, and my other friends were telling me that she was spreading rumours about me then acting as my friend to my face. I didn't believe them because I really trusted my friend. I thought my friends were just trying to stir a fight between us. I also didn't want to believe it because I really loved her. Later on, I realized my friends had been right all along because they sent me a conversation she had said on MSN. I was shocked at what I read. However, I realized at that moment that not everyone can be trusted. This related to Danny not believing his father is an abuser because he really trusts him. However, things do happen. Things you don't want to believe. But sometimes you have to realize the truth and move on.
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