1. Dave is naive, by today's standards, for a fourteen-year old boy. Most fourteen year olds today have at least some understanding of homosexuality, but Dave does not understand sex at all. He does not understand suicide either. It is clear that Dave leads a sheltered life when we learn that he has never had pizza, and in fact, never visited the city or ventured beyond his rural community. Do you find it odd that Dave, at fourteen, is so naive about life in general? Remember this is 1957. Discuss how Dave's struggle to understand his emotions would be different today.

2. Compare and contrast Dave's father's ideas of manhood with Gene Tole's ideas of manhood. Think about how each of them expresses their emotions, and discuss how this affects their selfconfidence and self-acceptance.

3. Discuss how Gene Tole serves as a role model...