Crushed

1. When Wickham first arrives in Mrs. Leacock's classroom, Audrey writes in her notebook, "Something happening. Something definitely happening" (p. 4). Discuss her first impression of Wickham. How does Audrey and Wickham's initial conversation set the stage for their relationship? Audrey immediately notices that he smells sugary, like Christmas. Do you think this is significant? Why? Contrast Audrey's initial feelings toward Wickham with her first impression of Clyde. How does her attitude toward the two change by the end of the novel?2. C.C.'s mother says, "What makes people interesting is their secrets" (p. 236). Do you think this is true? Discuss which characters have secrets and how these secrets shape their personalities and influence their actions. Toward the end of the novel, Audrey says, "People's secrets can be what makes them interesting. They can also be what makes them awful" (p. 270). Do you agree? Find some examples in the novel that support this statement. Are there any examples that contradict it? Wickham's accident is one of the central secrets of the novel. How do you think the accident has affected Wickham? How has keeping it a secret affected him? Is it unfair of Audrey to ask him about the accident? Why do you think he reveals his secret to Lea right away?3. There is a cassette tape stuck in Audrey's car, and the lyrics to the Gilbert & Sullivan song Audrey, C.C., and Lea performed at Tate School recur throughout the novel: "Three little maids from school are we, / Pert as a schoolgirl well can be, / Fill'd to the brim with girlish glee / Ev'rything is a source of fun. / Nobody's safe, for we care for none!" Look at moments in the book when the song plays. What is the significance of the jammed tape? How have Audrey's feelings changed about the song since the girls performed it together? How do the lyrics relate to their current situation and to the themes of the novel? What about the lyrics playing in Lea's car on page 229("Non, je ne regrette rien / 'I regret nothing'")?4. Soon after Audrey meets Wickham, he asks her to help him cheat on a Physics quiz. Why do you think Audrey does it? Is allowing Wickham to copy her quiz different from fixing his Physics paper? When Audrey tries to explain her reservations about cheating, Wickham claims that life isn't fairthe "rules" aren't always fairand therefore, cheating isn't always wrong. Do you think his argument is valid? Is Wickham's cheating harmless? Why or why not?5. Privacy is an important theme in the novel. When Clyde's father discovers that Clyde used his computer program to look up Wickham, Theo, and Audrey, he says, "These are the personal lives of real people. People like you and me and your mother. Who shouldn't have to think about strangers peeping through the keyhole" (p. 114). Was it wrong of Clyde to use the program? Was it wrong of him to let Audrey know what he found out about Wickham?The Yellow Paperis perhaps the most obvious example of invasion of privacy and exposure in the novel. How does it affect the students and teachers of Jemison High? Do you think Theo, Zondra, and Sands deserved to be outed? What about Mrs. Leacock? Compare Clyde's looking up his three classmates to Brian's creation ofThe Yellow Paper.How are their actions and consequences alike? How are they different?6. When Clyde first sees Audrey's house, he is dismayed to discover that her family is much wealthier than his. Compare Clyde and Wickham's financial situations and attitudes toward money. Do you thiMcNeal, Laura is the author of 'Crushed ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780375831218 and ISBN 0375831215.