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43 pages 1 hour read

Mark Shulman

Scrawl

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2006

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Essay Topics

1.

How does Tod’s writing style change over the course of the novel’s entries? Do you notice any improvement in his diction or voice?

2.

What is the significance of the novel’s title? How does it reflect the message of the novel? What does it say about Tod’s character?

3.

Tod claims that he left “hints” throughout his story that may have foreshadowed some of the story’s twists. Can you identify any of these hints? Do you think he established a good mystery with the plot and events of the story?

4.

The story ends immediately after the play. What is the effect of this?

5.

How are Rex and Rob sympathetic characters?

6.

How do the “droogs” compare to characters like Luz, Ricardo, or Stuart?

7.

What inferences can you make about why Mrs. Woodrow was sad and distracted on November 11th? How does the format of the novel limit the reader’s knowledge?

8.

How does Shulman suggests that teachers are important for overcoming stereotypes and mitigating bullying? Why is the mentor archetype in this text significant?

9.

Tod plays into the stereotype of the “tough bully” that others have prescribed onto him. What other stereotypes are in the novel?

10.

Tod experiences several moments of guilt and shame, but he also experiences hope and joy. Compare instances of each emotion. What do these emotions say about his character?

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