Read lines 1-10 and identify the main character. Do you think the character has a positive or negative outlook on life based on details from those lines?
Look at lines 21-25. Identify a personal trait the narrator states about himself. Do you think the narrator knows himself well? How do you know?
Look at lines 41-47. Summarize how the narrator responds to strangers compared to his mother.
A "mixer" refers to someone who is outgoing and "mixes" well with others. Look at lines 76-86. How do you know the narrator's descripton of himself as a "mixer" seems accurate?
Look at lines 87-105. Do you think the narrator truly understands the Shy Man and his Master? How do you know?
Look at lines 137-150. What is ironic about what the narrator thinks about the Shy Man and what the policeman tells the Shy Man?
What happens when the narrator "talks" to his new owner? Why doesn't it seem to bother him?
Do you think our narrator is reliable? Can we trust his interpretation of what is going on?
Look at lines 211-224. What inferences can you make about how the man and his friend are going to "train" the narrator?
What is the ABC of a dog's education?
Look at lines 438-451. Why does Blackie decide to go get Fred? (What were Blackie's reasons?)
Based on the expereinces Blackie has gone through, do you think Blackie has changed much? Explain.