1. What is the reason behind Speare introducing so many key characters in the first chapter? Are all the main characters well-developed?

2. Does Kit handle situations in a manner similar to how a sixteen-year-old would today?

3. What can readers infer about outcasts in Puritan society? How tolerant is this society? How important is group pressure in Puritan society?

4. What moral dilemmas are presented in the book?

5. What is the significance of the characters' names?

6. What kind of tension exists between Kit and Nat? Provide examples of both increasing and decreasing tension.