Blurb
'One relentless summer, six children explore the scorched wheatfields that surround the tiny community in the Italian countryside, while the adults shelter indoors.
But when nine-year-old Michele chances on a rundown and deserted farmhouse, he makes a discovery so momentous he dare not tell anyone about it.
Extract from the study guide
Preface
'That much he knew. He had fallen into darkness. And at that instant he knew, he ceased to know.'
Jack London
This quote prefaces the novel. It has been used by the author the make the audience start to think about an issue that must be important to the story he is about to tell us. What do you think this issue might be? Explain.
Analysis of section 1 - pp 1 to 41
1. What evidence can you find that shows that the novel is written in first person?
2. Describe Acqua Traverse based on what we are told in the opening pages of the novel.
3. How did 'Skull' get his name?
4. 'We could do whatever we liked' (6). What types of things did the children do?
5. Who is Melichetti?
6. 'a man like Melichelli was liable to shoot you' (9). Why did he think that?
7. Why did Skull give Barbara a 'glare of hatred' (10)?
8. What evidence can you find that Skull is a cruel person?
9. What is a 'panettone'? Why was this description used?
10. Why was Michele 'up on that hill' (13)?
11. 'It was there on top of a stick... A swarm of metallised flies buzzed around it and clustered on the eyes, on the blood' (15). What was your reaction to this image?
12. Define - hamlet, acqua, ghastly, descend, cyclamen, parapet, raucous, forfeit
13. Describe the interior of the house based on Michele's observations (21-25)
14. Why do you think the author began a new line for each of Michele's comments when he found the hole?
i.e. 'It was hairless...
White...
a leg...
A leg!'(28)
What was the effect?
15. 'I threw it at the boy' (28) Why?
16. What does 'finders keepers' mean?
17. Why do you think Ammaniti gives us information about the town on p30-31?
18. 'He'd bought us a present!' (34) Why was an exclamation mark used here?
19. Why do you think Michele's father arm wrestled him?
20. The children went to bed 'without even begging to be allowed to watch television' (37) Why not?
21. Stodyboard 2 images from Michele's dream (38)
22. 'Maybe, sooner or later, he would take us to the seaside for a swim' (41) Why is 'sooner or later' significant here?
Reflections - What have we learned about Michele's nature in the opening section? Is he similar or different to those around him? What have we learned about his community? Compare it to the community which you live in.
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