A Study Guide to The Lake at the End of the World

A novel by Caroline Macdonald

Blurb

'It was the bush-clearing process that caused the problem. In the end the while country was cleared. It turned into one gigantic market garden to supply the starving world. To clear the bush quickly they chucked chamicals out of helicopters. All the animals died - even faster than the people died.'

The year is 2025. When Hector ventures out from the underground community that has been isolated for over half a century, he doesn't know what awaits him. He certainly doesn't expect to find any survivors above ground. But then he meets Diana ...
This is an exciting and challenging story of a developing relationship in a fragile world.

Winner - Victorian Premier's Award 1989
Honour Book - Australian Children's book of the Year Award (Older Readers) 1989
Shortlisted - NSW Premier's Award 1989

Review Comments
'beautifully sensitive and thoroughly believable - a fone novel ... the final resolution is a triumphant climax to a gripping story' - Laurie Copping, Canberra Times
'the implied warnings are timely' - Australian Book Review

Study Guide

This text is written in an unusual form. There are two main characters - Diana and Hector. These two characters take turns telling us about their experiences. Diana also writes several journal entries that let us know what she is really thinking and feeling. The two start the novel as strangers who had lived in different worlds all their lives. Through the novel Diana and Hector come to an understanding of each other's world and learn more about themselves.

Part 1

Hector starts his story (1)

1. What mood is established by the opening two lines? 2. Why do you think Hector gradually takes ‘a few steps further from the entrance’? 3. ‘through the maze’ – What maze do you think he is referring to? 4. ‘it has always been unthinkable’ – What might cause this perception? 5. Do you think Hector is an effective observer? What gives you this impression? 6. What clues are given to indicate Hector has been underground for a long time?

Diana starts her story (2)

1. Why doesn’t Diana tell her Mum about ‘him’ yet? 2. What is the evening ceremony? 3. What role does Diana play in her house (4)? 4. What is the purpose of winding the clocks every day? 5. Why might the other settlements have stopped replying to Diana’s calls? 6. Who is Matilda?

Hector (5)

1. How does Hector describe his first encounter with the ‘wind’? 2. Who is Stewart? 3. Why do you think Hector feels explosions in his eyes? 4. What has happened to Diana’s method of transport? 5. Why do you think Diana tells Hector and Stewart to go away?

Diana (9)

1. ‘I know Mum won’t have tried’ – Why do you think Diana’s mother doesn’t care about trying to contact anyone? 2. Why do you think Diana wished she had talked to Hector? 3. Does the journal entry reveal any interesting information?

Hector (12)

1. ‘There must be some memory in his brain’ – What memory? 2. What is Hector afraid of (14)? 3. Why is it so important that no-one finds out that Hector has ventured out of the maze of te underground caves?

Diana (15)

1. Why might Diana’s father be ‘away with the fairies’? 2. Why do you think Diana has more freedom of movement than Hector?

Hector (15)

1. What does ‘unyielding’ mean? 2. What are some of the things that Diana and Hector talk about during their first real conversation? 3. ‘I have never felt this sort of anger before’ – Why is Hector feeling like this? 4. How important is Stewart to Hector? Why?

Diana (18)

1. What is the purpose of ‘morphine’? 2. Why did Dad ‘give up’? 3. ‘from a distance, of course’ – Why ‘of course’? 4. Why does Diana find Hector’s story so unbelievable? What does this say about Diana?

Hector (21)

1. ‘I have never had to hide anything before’ – Why is this line repeated? 2. What might the role of the ‘caretaker’ be? 3. What does the blue patch remind Hector of?

Diana (22)

1. ‘She looks exhausted’ – why might her Mum be exhausted? 2. What does Diana tell her Mum to give her hope? 3. Where does Stewart lead Diana? 4. What does ‘dejected’ mean? 5. How does Diana help Hector?

Part 1 Activities

1. Imagine you live underground. Write about what you would miss most about the outside world. 2. Diana and Hector were strangers and their meeting was unexpected. Imagine you met an alien for the first time. Describe what the alien would look like and what you would talk about. What does the alien teach you about their world? 3. Draw a picture of one of the times in this section where Hector met Diana. It could be when she crash landed or when she went into the caves and helped Hector. Draw speech bubbles for Hector and Diana and write what they would say to each other in that meeting.

Spelling List
Part 1
blinding, maze, underground, exhausted, antiseptic, scratched, question, turning, unaware, nervous, dissolving, imagining, completely, settlement, freedom, immediately, tunnel, enjoying, basset, extraordinary, remembering, several

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