Deathwatch

Discuss the strategies White uses to create suspense throughout the story.

How does Ben’s uncle mentioning Ben’s bad temper change how you read descriptions of Ben’s anger earlier in the novel?

Why does Madec send Ben off into the desert instead of simply shooting him? What foreshadowing does the text offer that Madec might act in this way?

What techniques does White use to blend the setting of the story with the themes of the story?

How does the fear of dehydration impact the pace of the story? What role does sleep play in the story?

Consider the novel as a coming-of-age story. How does White develop and grow Ben’s character, and is Ben’s development complete at the end of the novel?

How does the physical struggle between Ben and Madec parallel their rhetorical struggle?

In what ways are Ben and Madec similar, and how do these similarities contribute to their conflict?