Problem 1: Briefly explain Mr. Chiu's, Mother Savauge's, and Matt Fowler's justification for their acts of revenge.
Problem 2: Why does Matt kill Richard Strout? Consider the possibility that he has more than one reason.
Problem 3: Identify the argument that Richard Strout makes to keep Matt from killing him.
Problem 4: Why does Willis help Matt take revenge?
Problem 5: Does Matt have a more understandable case for revenge than Mr. Chiu?
Problem 6: Why do the police arrest Mr. Chiu and demand a confession from him before they are willing to release him?
Problem 7: Could the police's abusive behavior in the Chinese city of "Saboteur" occur in Matt Fowler's New England community?
Problem 8: In what places in the story is the title "Saboteur"especially relevant? Who can be considered a "saboteur" and what acts of sabotage does the story deal with?
Problem 9: How does Mother Savauge treat the young Prussian soldiers she has been forced to house during the war before she receives the letter from her son's friend? Why does she repeatedly ask the soldiers the same question?
Problem 10: Why does Mother Savauge ask the Prussian soldiers to write down the addresses of their families?
Problem 11: How is Mother Savauge also a victim of the war?
Problem 12: Which of the three protagonists' actions do you consider most heinous? Why? Do you sympathize with any of these characters?