Understanding the story

1. Which of the two cyclists is enjoying the ride? Give evidence from the text.

2. Why doesn't Rob want to sit next to his father? What does this tell you about their relationship at the beginning of the story?

3. How does the author describe Rob when Mr Willison cycles off without him? What is the author's intention here?

4. What sort of woman would you say Mrs Willison is, and what is her relationship to her husband?

5. What was Mr Willison's own youth like and how has this affected his relationship towards his son?

6. Is Rob very pleased with his present? Give reasons for your opinion.

7. What is Mr Willison's reaction to the news that Rob has not been selected for the rugby team? Do you think that Rob really did his best to get a place in the team?

8. What does Rob tell his father in order to make up for the disappointment?

9. "Confident, joking, they went down to breakfast". Does this statement indicate a change in the relationship between father and son?

10. What is Mrs Willison's attitude towards Rob's selection for the boxing team? What effect is this likely to have on the atmosphere within the family?

11. What does the description of Rob's boxing kit tell you about Mr Willison's attitude towards his son?

12. Why does Mr Willison describe the night of the tournament as "my big night"?

13. Do you agree with Mrs Willison's statement that her husband is an "unnatural father" or do you think that she should "take a grip" on herself? Does the author himself express any opinion as to who is right?

14. What was your interpretation of Rob's sudden attack of appendicitis when you first read about it? Was your explanation right?

15. Why doesn't Rob tell the truth at this stage of the story? Is he a born liar?

16. "Everyone's depending on you", says Mr Willison. In what way is this statement doubly ironic?

17. How do Rob's parents react to his sudden illness?

18. "With lead in his heart and ice in his fingers, he dialled the number". What does this tell us about Mr Willison's feelings when he rings Mr Granger?

19. Do you think that Mr Willison is angry at the end o the story? What do you think will happen now?

Style and language

1. Mr Willison often talks in cliches. How would you describe a cliche and does the frequent use of cliches tell us about the person who uses them? Pick out five examples of cliches from the text and talk about them in class.

2. This story is mainly in dialogue form. What effect does this form have on the author's role as narrator?

3. The story is open-ended. Why doesn't the author finish it off? What do open-ended stories force us, the readers, to do?

Further discussion

1. Discuss the character of Rob as revealed in the story. What sort of boy is he? How much do we really know about his thoughts and feelings, and are they revealed? Use quotations from the text wherever possible.

2. What would you have done in Rob's position?

3. Does your mother or your father try to make you do things you don't really to simply because they think it is "a good thing", or because they never had a chance to do it themselves? What are your reactions? These could be things like going to church, going to university, learning a special trade or profession, etc.

4. Who do you sympathize with most in the story? Give reasons. Do you agree with Mr Willison's views on "manly" virtues and the "unchangeable law of nature"?

5. What have the individual characters learned – if anything – from their experience? Will their future relationships be better or worse than before?

6. Give a full stylistic analysis of the text.