1. The tree stump, introduced in chapter 2, seems to symbolize many central concerns of the novel: nature's stubbornness, Shane's commitment to farming, even the land itself. What is important about Joe and Shane's struggle with the stump? What do.the two men—and Marian and Bob as well— gain from that struggle?

2. Most readers realize early on that Shane will eventually take up his gun again in defense of the Starretts. How does Schaefer nonetheless maintain an atmosphere of considerable suspense throughout the novel?

3. As the family returns from town in chapter 6, Bob Starrett observes that "the closer we came [to the farm], the more cheerful [Shane] was." What accounts for this feeling in Shane?

4. In chapter 8, Shane seems to lose his serenity in the face of the looming conflict with Fletcher. By chapter 14, however, Shane is again reconciled to "the simple solitude...