Last Updated on July 29, 2019, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 151

1. Using newspapers, magazines, or other library resources, find out what was happening in the United States during the fall of 1914 when the events of Peck's novel take place.

Download The Dreadful Future of Blossom Culp Study Guide

Subscribe Now

2. Find out something about satire. Present an extended definition of satire with some examples. What aspects of Peck's book fit this definition?

3. At least one reviewer (Yoke) has compared Blossom to Huck Finn, the narrator of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Read Twain's novel and report on the similarities and differences between Blossom and Huck.

4. Being a satire, Peck's novel attempts to disturb some people's assumptions about what is respectable, correct, or important in life. Which if any of your own assumptions did you feel were attacked in the novel? How did you respond to this?

5. Use your library's resources to find two or three reviews of Peck's novel. Summarize these reviews and discuss your agreement or disagreement with the reviewers.