Rather than just facts, questions about characters and their motivations are usually the most interesting. “Why” questions make you look deeper than the surface.

Why did Phillip’s mother yell at him and then hug him right after that?

Why was Phillip so prejudiced?

Why does Phillip distrust Timothy at first?

What does Phillip learn about Timothy’s education and why is this important?

Why does Timothy slap Phillip?

Phillip becomes blind as a result of getting hit on the head. However, he becomes blind in another way and that changes him. What does he become blind to?

Why is Timothy so insistent on teaching Phillip how to weave a mat?

Finally, a challenge to study speech patterns: Timothy’s speech is sometimes difficult for students to read an understand. Can you see some patterns in his speech?

Sure. What kind of questions?
Plot-based questions? If so, then did Timothy know that he'd die protecting Phillip in that storm?
Why did Phillip try hunting lobster on his own?
Why didn't the captain of that ship believe him?

Or questions related to the larger meaning?
If so, what all does Phillip's physical blindness symbolize?
Why is the place where they were called the "Devil's Mouth"? Meaning, what all does that symbolize? And is that why people had trouble hearing what they were "saying" with their fires?

What does it mean to escape from the Devil's mouth?