The Petrified Forest Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

The Petrified Forest Topics for Further Study

Research the famed arts and literature scene of Paris in the 1920s, and explain why so many Americans were drawn to become part of that lifestyle.

Compare the sort of publicity that Billy the Kid received in his lifetime to the things that were written about a famous 1930s gangster like John Dillinger or Baby Face Nelson when they were alive. Did public attitudes change? If so, why?

Watch a few gangster films from the twenties and thirties. In what ways is Duke Mantee a typical criminal figure from that time? In what ways is he unique?

Robert E. Sherwood is known for the antiwar themes of his plays. Try to identify subtle ways in which The Petrified Forest can be seen as a statement against war.

Boze is a former football star who has become a gas station attendant. Find someone who used to play...
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