Discussion Q's

Discussion 1

Question 1- Why do you think Octavian is a traitor?

Because he leaves the home where he lived his whole life, and he must do something to dis the college of Lucidity. Maybe he goes into the forbidden room and takes something he’s not allowed to have.

Question 2- What are some examples of things Octavian learns about himself in the 1st Part?

He learns he is an EXPERIMENT! That is the most important thing we learn in the first part of the story the Octavian also learns.

Question 3- Why is Octavian and “experiment”? And what is he for?

Question 4- How do you think Octavian feels about Lord Cheldthorpe?

Discussion 2

1)  Discussion Question #1

Is octavian going to be sold like his mother once was? why or why not?

Yes because his mom is dead, so they sold are the learning tools so they will eventually need to sell him too. And also he is going to do something bad. Maybe Mr.Gitney will sell Octavian for the money that he needs to get rid of Mr.Sharp who was previously paying for Octavian.

2) Discussion Question #2

Since Cassiopeia did not recover from her pox, will that impact Octavian’s decision to be a traitor?

Yes because he has never lived without his mother, and maybe they will stop treating him nicely because his mother is no longer there to protect him.

3) Discussion Question #3

Do you think it is okay for Mr. Sharp to cut off Octavian’s books and learning and why would he do that?

No because it isn't fair to Octavian, and because it ruins the experiment. Plus he didn't like Cassiopeia anyways and he didn't want the experiment to work out, because he seems lesser than the caucasian princes, and didn't want Octavian to prove he is as smart as the other kids.

4) Discussion Question #4

What do you think is going to happen to Mr.Sharp now that he has held the “pox party”?

Maybe Octavian and Bono are going to team up and kill Mr.Sharp who killed Cassiopeia and stole Octavian’s learning materials. Hopefully, Mr.Sharp will be caught and killed by someone who finds out what a terrible thing he has done. Or maybe Mr.Sharp will get away with it because the house that they live in is pretty solemn.

Discussion 3

1)  Discussion Question #1- Why did Octavian leave his home and go looking for work as a slave?

Because he was upset that his mother died, and Bono left. Octavian also wanted a sense of freedom even if it killed him.

2) Discussion Question #2- On page 261, it says “God forgive me. Her name… I never knew her name.” What does that mean?

It means that all this time, Octavian has been living without know her name. We don't know exactly who she is, but she must have been important to him or else he wouldn’t care so much.

3) Discussion Question #3- Who is he talking about?

Maybe he is talking about his grandmother and her name. Or, Cassiopeia was never his moms real name. Maybe, he has a mystery sister who he just found out about.

4) Discussion Question #4- Who is Ev?

Ev is the a person who took Octavian under his wing, they are working together and Ev is making “observations” about him.

Discussion 4

Question #1: What does Octavian mean when he says, “ Such a punishment, indeed, would have seemed a freedom?”

Octavian is saying that he is free to die, and that a punishment so horrible should grant him freedom.

Question #2: If Octavians mother was still alive do you think the people of the college would have killed her when Octavian ran away? Why?

They would have questioned her about Octavian, and if she did not answer they would have killed her. Or, when Octavian Returned to the college they would have killed her as punishment. But Octavian  wouldn’t have run away if she had been there.

Question #3: Why is Octavian a traitor to the nation?

Maybe the “nation” is the college, and the saying is a metaphor. He betrayed the US by going to Boston (colony), and he betrayed the college by ditching the experiment.

Question #4: Was it unexpected when Octavian realized that the plantation owners were counting on him to fail? Why?

No, because Mr. Sharpe stopped the education, which implied that he wanted Octavian to fail.