Reading guide for Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

Family Relationships

• Describe Jack's family


• Jack is punished by his mom for shooting his dad's rifle and for mowing down her cornfield. Discuss how he is the victim in both incidents.


• Jack's parents try to convince him that they work as a team. Debate whether there is any teamwork in the Gantos family.


• Cite evidence that Jack's mom "wears the pants in the family."


• Which of Jack's parents does he most respect?

Friendship

• Discuss Jack's reputation among his peers.


• Bunny Huffer is Jack's best friend. Trace their relationship from the beginning of the novel to the end.


• At first, Jack is simply Miss Volker's scribe. At what point does he become her friend?


• How does Bunny regard Jack's relationship with Miss Volker?


• Discuss the relationship between Mr. Spizz and Miss Volker.


• Mr. Spizz enjoys pestering Jack. Debate whether he is jealous of Jack's relationship with Miss Volker.

Community

• Norvelt is a New Deal community that was built to give "hardworking poor people a helping hand" (p. 54). Why does Jack's dad call it a "Commie" town?


• Discuss Miss Volker's commitment to the town.


• Debate whether Norvelt has lost its true sense of community.


• What does Mrs. Gantos miss most about the "old" Norvelt? How is she trying to instill a sense of community in Jack?


• Discuss how a town can change without changing its sense of community.

Courage

• Jack tells his mother that his dad made him mow down the corn. Why does he feel that squealing on his dad was a cowardly thing to do?


• Anytime that Jack is anxious or fearful, his nose bleeds. How does it take courage to let Miss Volker operate on his nose?


• Explain how Bunny contributes to Jack's fears. How does she also help him gain courage?


• What is Jack's most courageous act in the novel?

Lying/Honesty

• Explain what Mrs. Gantos means when she tells Jack, "Remember, a person first lies to himself before he lies to others" (pp. 207-8).


• Jack tells his parents that he didn't put the bullet in teh rifle. Why does it take Mr. Gantos a while to admit that Jack is telling the truth?


• Who are the most honest and trustworthy characters in the novel?


• Discuss the most dishonest characters. How do they lie to themselves and to the entire community?

Growing Up

• At different times in the novel, Bunny and Miss Volker tell Jack that he needs to be a man. How might their definition of a man differ?


• In what ways is Jack's father still a boy? Debate whether this interferes with Jack's journey toward manhood.


• At what point in the novel does Jack begin to understand his role as a man? Which character is most responsible for his coming of age?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Square Fish. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.