95 pages 3 hours read

Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1978

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Essay Topics

1.

The Westing Game is told from a third-person omniscient point of view. How do you think the story might have been different if told from the point of view of one character, such as Turtle or Mr. Westing? Why do you think the author chose this method?

2.

Samuel Westing has chosen four distinct identities to play over the course of the game. How does each of these personas serve a different purpose, in terms of not only advancing the plot but in relation to the needs of the heirs?

3.

The last part of the will states: “Buy Westing Paper Products!” (39). This is humorous, but the reference to the company is one that occurs often throughout the book. Identify some of these references and explain how WPP operates as a motif in The Westing Game.