34 pages • 1 hour read
Walter Dean MyersShooter
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How do Len and Cameron’s status as outsiders contribute to the story’s tragic outcome? Do they choose to be outsiders, or is the role thrust upon them?
Identify three bullies in the novel. What motivates their behavior? How are they similar or different from one another?
What role does anti-gay bullying play in the story? Is it different than other forms of bullying experienced by Len and Cameron?
How do the actions and inaction of adults affect Len and Cameron? What role do they play in the tragedy?
County Psychologist Richard Ewings and FBI Special Agent Victoria Lash differ substantially in their approach to interviewing Cameron. How does Cameron react to each interviewer, and how does the information obtained from each interview differ? Why is this so?
How does the format of the novel affect character development and the unveiling of the plot? How would the plot unfold differently if the structure were conventional?
Identify three settings in the novel. What roles do they play in leading to the shooting?
What role do drugs play in the story, and who is responsible for their destructive impact?
What do you think the biggest factor is behind Len’s catastrophic actions? Why?
In what ways does Len exhibit a delusional, or false, image of himself as a hero? Include specific examples from the text.
Related Titles
By Walter Dean Myers
