The Red Bandanna

Welles is short for his age and not natively talented in sports, which puts him at a disadvantage in Pop Warner football and, later, in hockey and lacrosse. Name three things Welles does to make up for his deficits. Why does Welles do each of those things? How does each effort to make up for his deficit contribute to his character and heroism later in life?

A groundhog is severely injured by the Crowther dogs, and 12-year-old Welles calls his father for advice. Jeff tells his son to put the groundhog out of its misery, and Welles kills the creature, crying as he does so. Briefly describe two attributes of Welles’ character that this moment demonstrates, and how it parallels his heroism during the 9/11 attack.

When Welles is not chosen as a captain of his high school hockey team, he tells his coach, “I want to know what I’m doing wrong” (37). What is the coach’s answer, what does Welles do in response, and what is the result? What lessons from Welles’s experience can the reader take, and what would the reader hope to get out of those experiences? 

Like Welles, you are two years out of college, doing very well in a business position, and, if you continue there, will likely be worth millions before you turn forty. However, you long for a different career as an artist, teacher, policeman, or fireman. Why are you longing for this other career? When you explain your desire to your parents, what would their reaction be? How might you best explain your choice to your parents so that they will support you?

Welles’s mother, Alison, has premonitions, and on 9/11 she senses a voice telling her, “You’re going to die today” (97). Yet she survives and lives for years afterward. What, then, is the likely meaning of Alison's premonition?

Welles’ body is found in the ruins of the South Tower’s lobby; next to him lie the bodies of others. Who are these others, and what does this suggest Welles was doing at the time? Should Welles have taken the actions he did that day, or should he have attempted escape?

Think of a moment when you, or someone you know, did something heroic. It can be small, like saving a cat from a tree, or something bigger. If you did it, how did it feel? If you witnessed it, what was it like to observe someone behaving in a selfless manner? Use these experiences to create a definition of heroism.

The Crowther parents suffer the unbearable burden of mourning the death of their son. Name two things that Alison and/or Jeff do to mitigate this pain and give it meaning. What meaning can the reader take from these actions?