I Am Watching You

Ella feels an overwhelming sense of guilt at having failed Anna. Do you think Ella’s guilt is justified? Argue for or against the position, basing your answer on textual research.

Flowers crop up often in the text. In your opinion, what do flowers and Ella’s florist’s shop symbolize in the novel? Support your answer with textual examples.

Ella tells Matthew that after she came forward as a witness in Anna’s disappearance, several news articles featured stories about her with “big moral-dilemma headlines” such as “what would you have done” (37). Taking a page from the headlines, write a brief essay on what would you do if you were in Ella’s position. To help with your answer, imagine yourself on the same train as Anna and Sarah.

Sarah and Lily are survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Discuss how the abuse impacts their lives, using examples from the text.

In your opinion, why does Margaret, Sarah and Lily’s mother, refuse to accept the fact that her ex-husband Bob abused his daughters? What does Margaret’s denial say about her as a character?

Write a character sketch of Tim Blackhouse, basing your answer on examples from the text.

The Psychological Impact of Guilt and Inaction is an important theme in the text. Discuss how guilt affects characters like Ella, Henry, Matthew, and Sarah.

Explore the use of genre tropes, such as misdirection, cliffhanger endings, and red herrings in the novel. Support your answer with examples from the text.