1. How does Armstrong draw the reader into the child's point of view in the novel? Describe how he uses his third-person limited omniscient point of view to move in and out of the boy's consciousness.

2. Compare the beliefs and attitudes of the boy and the mother in Sounder. In what ways do their similarities and differences help characterize each of them and make them individuals?

3. Twice in the novel the boy wishes for revenge against cruel lawmen. Select one of these revenge fantasies and demonstrate how the boy's desire for revenge helps make him a more convincing character.

4. Armstrong says that as a child he loved Bible stories. In what ways does he use biblical stories in the novel? What effect does the use of these stories have in the novel?

5. Some critics have said that Armstrong's portrait of the...