Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How would Billy's relationship with his dogs have changed if his parents had bought them for him?
- What role does Billy's faith play in the text? How is it similar, or different, to the faith of his parents?
- Billy spends much of the book teaching his dogs how to hunt. What do his dogs teach him?
- How does Rawls portray women? What role do women seem to play in the novel?
- At times Old Dan and Little Ann seem to possess super powers. How realistic does this portrayal of the dogs seem? Are we supposed to think that Billy's memory is totally accurate?
- Why does the author start this book with a flashback? Why not just dive into the story?
- Could this story take place in the present day? How much does the rural setting affect the kind of story the author is telling?
- What is the relationship between the individual and the family? How does Billy negotiate being himself and also being a Colman?