Topic 1

Who and what is Socrates Fortlow? Is Socrates a bad man who does good or a good man who has done bad things? Has Socrates paid for the murders he has committed, or should he have been kept in prison? Does Socrates get in the difficult and sometimes violent situations in which he finds himself throughout the book as a result of his own actions, or are these chance occurrences? Given the circumstances and environment, does Socrates handle these situations well?

Topic 2

Discuss the relationship between Socrates and Darryl. Why does Socrates take Darryl under his wing and mentor him? Should Socrates have turned Darryl into the police after he admitted killing another boy? Why is Darryl able to sleep on Socrates’ sofa, but not at his own home? What does Socrates try to teach Darryl by taking him to Marvane Street? Why does he make...