Topic 1

Thematically, what purpose does the author set out to achieve by having the story told by multiple narrators?

Topic 2

How does Candy’s plan to use the old men to protect Mathu contribute to the theme racial interdependence?

Topic 3

How do the domestic relationships between the old men and their wives shape their ideas about manhood and their goal to redefine their masculinity?

Topic 4

What significance does the label “Salt and Pepper” have in regards to the overall meaning of the story and the interactions between the characters?

Topic 5

In what ways do guns aid the old men in achieving their goal of standing up to the local whites?

Topic 6

In what ways does the swamp embody the struggle of the men to rise up and overcome their circumstances?

Topic 7

What is the symbolic importance of the graveyard in the development of the men’s resolve...