Different Seasons

Analyze the character of Todd Bowden. What is the effect of the ending of “Apt Pupil” in relation to Todd’s character development?

Compare the way King portrays the relationships between Todd and Dussander and Todd and his father.

Analyze the first-person narrator vs protagonist in “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.” In what ways does King portray Andy, the subject of the story, as a catalyst rather than protagonist?

Three of the four stories feature a first-person point-of-view character. Compare and contrast how King uses first-person narrators in each of the three stories.

Analyze and compare the relationship between Chris and Gordie to that between Andy and Red. How are they similar and different?

Discuss the representation of free will in one of the novellas.

At the start of “Apt Pupil,” Todd Bowden is about the same age as the boys in “The Body.” Compare Todd’s story arc to that of Gordie and his friends.

Discuss King’s representation of America culture in relation to the lives of Gordie and his friends.