Worth+Questions

Please answer in complete sentences. Then email them to BFakhoury@broadwateracademy.org by Monday, January 10th at 8:20AM.

4. How does John adjust to life on the farm? Why does he find many of the chores Pa assigns him difficult to complete?

5. In chapter 17, why has Mr. Clemson given Pa a number of cows and a bull? Pa accepts the livestock as compensation for the corn trampled by Clemson’s cattle. 6. On page 116, Anemone accepts the repaired pan from Ma and comments, “Your husband does good work.” How does Ma respond to this? Who actually repaired the pan? If you were Ma, how would you have responded to Anemone? Can you think of a reason Ma would allow someone else to get credit for her work?

7. Imagine you are Nate Peale. It is a sunny day and you have done your chores. What would you do to pass the afternoon on the farm? Ride Belle to the river? Practice reading? Something else?

8. What does Anemone lend Nate? Why does this gesture mean so much to him?

9. On page 63, Nate says, “Part of me wondered why [Ma] hated John Worth so much.” Briefly list the two explanations Nate offers. Then, in your own words, explain why you think Ma seems to dislike John for much of the story.

10. Briefly explain why Horace Danver is cutting fences on the Peales’ property.

11. On page 46, Nate says, “A man with a bad leg needed book learning to find his place.” What do you think Nate means by this? Why is it especially important for Nate to do well in school after his accident? Hint: Remember the time and setting

12. Compare the way in which Nate views John at the beginning of the story to the way he views John at the end of the story. What do you think is the explanation for this change?

13. Based on what you learned about John Worth in the book, what profession do you think he will choose as an adult? Do you think he will go on to be a banker in the city? Do you think he will inherit a share of the farm? Or do you think he will do something else entirely? Be sure to use specific evidence from the text in your answer.

14. On page 88, Nate finishes reading to John and wonders, “if maybe the quiet feeling inside me just might be the start of something good.” Based on what happened in the rest of the book, would you say Nate was right, wrong, or both? Explain your answer using examples from the text.

15. Pa seems to blame himself for several hardships that befall his family, including the accident that broke Nate’s leg. Reread the argument between Pa and Ma on pages 57-58. Do you agree with Ma, who says, “I don’t blame you, Gabriel”? Or do you think Pa is at least partly responsible for any of the unfortunate events he lists in chapter 8?

Activity: Imagine you are Nate. Several years have passed and John Worth has returned to the big city. Write John a letter. Be sure to tell him everything that is happening on the farm and ask him about his life, too.