1. Many critics tend to discredit such "escapist" types of literature as Westerns, science fiction, Gothic romances, and mysteries. Why, then, would Schaefer, a serious writer, consciously choose to place Old Ramon in a Western setting?

2. Other critics (and many general readers) are wary of didactic fiction— literature which seeks to teach a moral lesson or promote a particular view of the world. Do you find Old Ramon overly didactic? Do you think Ramon himself is too "preachy" and his moral instruction heavy-handed?

3. The unnamed boy in Old Ramon shares many characteristics with Bob Starrett, the youngster in Schaefer's celebrated novel Shane. Discuss the two characters' similarities. How is Shane himself like Old Ramon? How is he different?

4. The first great obstacle that Ramon and the boy confront is the river crossing. In what ways is it appropriate that this...