Problem
i. Paul gets in trouble at school. Why do YOU think he gets into trouble and what about Paul bothers his teachers the most?
ii. Paul loves spending time as an usher at Carnegie Hall, PA., where the symphony orchestra plays its concerts. How does spending time there make him feel? What do you think being there represents to him?
iii. Paul hates going home and being in his neighborhood. What do his house, neighborhood, and neighbors represent to him? Why does he feel he has to leave there?
iv. Although Paul sees his father as ugly, oppressive, and unimaginative, (Paul may also be a bit frightened of him), his father is a complicated character. He pays back the money Paul has stolen from his employers and goes to New York City to bring Paul home. What kind of father is he, and what does he represent to Paul? (THINK: He IS his father, but he REPRESENTS something other than a parental figure to Paul.)
v. Paul is not poor. What evidence is there in the text to support this conclusion? To what socioeconomic class does he belong?