A few words/ Questions

Title: Why “a few words”? And what are those words? What are them about? How important they are? Who is going to talk to whom? Is it a sad message or happy one? Is it going to be talked out orally or is it written?

Author: Where is she from? Is she African-American? Or is she coming from a European country? What are her other stories about? Does she try to point out African-Americans’ problems? Has she encountered any racial difficulties? How old is she?

P1: Is it a love letter? Does he write often to her? Why did he leave his small city and move to D.C.? Why the capital city? Is he telling the truth about things going great? So why does he want to go back to his small city?

P2: Who is Flapjack? What does his name mean? How deep is their Friendship? Where did he get the gun? What does a .38 snubnose-loaded look like? Why is Wallace so calm despite his turbulent status?

P3: What did make Flapjack think that Wallace wanted to back out? How does Flapjack persuade Wallace to accompany him at the first place? Why didn’t Flapjack smoke his cigarette? What does the author mean by “a flame in a forest”? What is Flapjack excited about? What has happened to Wallace’s leg? Why is Wallace still unsure? And why does he avoid looking at Flapjack? Is he anxious?

P4: Why are the colors and fuiture described so precisely? Are they symbolizing anything? Or why are the cigarette brands mentioned? Why did Wallace hate Elvis? Is it Elvis Presley? What was Wallace’s father like? Wasn’t he supportive at all? Why did Wallace fight a war? And how was his knee injured? Why did Maeve leave Wallace for Pop? Who was Pop? What would his life be like if those things had happened? Why wasn’t the rent paid for three months? If Wallace wasn’t willing to rub the Leroy’s store, then why did he check Leroy out?

P5: Why was Flapjack late? And why was he high? What does the author mean by “cry over the milk”? Why did Wallace count the exact hours to the pay deadline? Was he nervous about it? Why did Wallace have uncertain thoughts just before the plan? Did he miss home? Or Maeve? How was their relationship now? What does “life saver” refer to? Who is Carlene Tilen?

P6: Why was the store so small? Why was Flapjack standing by the magazine rack and Wallace by the baby food? Why did Wallace hope it was “playboy”?

P7: Why did the cop left soon? Are they living in countryside? Is it a good town or a slum?

P8: Why does Leroy have wife and girlfriend? Did the gold rings show that Leroy was wealthy? Why does he have a Cadillac? Why Flapjack was suddenly missed?

P9: Why wasn’t Leroy shocked after Wallace stepped in? Why did Wallace get angry at Leroy’s indifference?

P10: Why did the lady abused the chaos and grabbed three cans of tomato paste?

P11: Why did Leroy’s eyes seem familiar to Wallace? Is it Wallace’s first burglary? Why did Wallace dislike Leroy’s calmness?

P12: Why didn’t Leroy resist? Why didn’t he try to deceive Wallace? Did he have similar experiences?

P13: Why does Leroy mention Wallace’s childhood and his father? Why does he humiliate Wallace? Why isn’t he aghast? How does he know that Wallace will never do better?

P14: Why did Wallace lost his control? How does he feel about his father? Why did he go mad when Leroy mentioned his father? Was it because of his father or himself? Why the author utters the word “forgot”? Why were Wallace’s eyes “cold and hard”? What was changed? Leroy or Wallace?

P15: If Wallace doesn’t like his father, why did he go frenetic? Why did Leroy say nothing? Wasn’t he able or didn’t he want to? What does the author mean by “he knew death”? How did he know death? Why is Wallace defeated? Defeated by whom? What has changed about his life after the rubbery? How does he feel now that he had the money? Why would he want to keep the gun? How does he visualize himself in his future?

P16: Where was Flapjack gone to? What does their short conversation mean? Does Wallace lie about not getting much? Did Flapjack want more money than was determined? Why did Wallace hang up? Why didn’t he want to sleep then?

P17: What did exactly change Wallace’s mind? What was Different? Is he really always going to live in city? Does he think that he is not competent enough to go back to his home after what he has done? Does he have a family waiting for him?

A few words/ Keywords...