8. Discussion

1. What was the charge brought against Benjy Blesker? Why did Vernon Wedge consider it “a very bad case”? Explain his reluctance to take up the case.

2. Why did Mr. Blesker insist that Vernon Wedge should handle his son's defense? What was his chief motive?

3. Did the lawyer believe in the boy’s innocence? Why did he suggest Benjy plead guilty to murder in the second degree?

4. What did the witnesses for the prosecution have to say at the trial? What impression did their testimony make on the jury? Did Mr. Wedge try to refute their evidence?

5. How did the lawyer intend to prove his client's innocence? What did he count on? Was his estimate accurate?

6. What was the verdict of the jury? What do you think turned the scale and made the jury return the verdict of Not Guilty?

7. Why did the lawyer intend to make the test after the boy had been acquitted? Why wouldn't Mr. Blesker allow it? Didn’t he believe in his son’s innocence? Do you think he knew the truth? Give evidence to prove your point of view.

8. Do you think Benjy Blesker was guilty of knifing Kenneth Tarcher?

9. Speak about the role of Mr. Blesker in the story. Do you share the lawyer’s idea that the father was behind the whole trouble?

10. Comment on the proverb Like father, like son in connection with the plot of the story.

11. Bring out the meaning of the proverb Blood is thicker than water and explain the title of the story.

12. Comment on Wedge’s statement: “They’re all good boys until they start running with a street pack.” How can parents protect their teenage children from the harmful influence of the street? Can they?

9. Read the article RAISING A G-RATED CHILD IN AN X-RATED WORLD (Reader) and do the assignments below.

1) Find in the article the words and expressions below and translate them into Russian.

Moral illiterates, to come up short on moral instruction, to be afflicted with cultural doubt, immoral messages floating around, to display a quality, to reward/ inspire a child, to empathize with smb, the calculus of reason, the power of guilt, the pain/ nagging voice of guilty conscience, to motivate smb to make amends, to set things right, to initiate character education, to teach the core virtues/ values, fraud, to start from scratch, to promote abstinence/ chastity, positive role modeling, a Good Samaritan, to live up to moral standards.

2) Use the vocabulary listed above while discussing the following points.

1. What made professor Kilpatrick call the rising generation of today’s America “moral illiterates”? Why do you think a growing number of parents are afflicted with cultural doubt?

2. Why is it important to teach children moral values? Give your comment on the method of teaching virtues practiced by the Eyre family.

3. Do you share the opinion expressed in the article that moral education should affect both reason and emotional sphere of a child? Give illustrations to support your argumentation.

4. Expand on the statement: “It isn’t always bad to feel bad”.

5. Explain what Th. Sowell means saying that “value clarification” classes like “drug education” or “sex education” courses are “an utter fraud”.

6. Can a parent influence school education of his children? What do you think can be done to ensure the teaching of traditional moral values at school?

7. What does professor Kilpatrick mean by “junk-food heroes”? Do you support his opinion that “real heroes still exist in folk tales, biographies and children’s classics”? What books / stories / films would you personally recommend?

8. Give your own illustrations of the adage "The footsteps a child follows are most likely the ones his parents thought they had covered up."