Promise Boys

How does the novel’s structure, specifically the shifting point of view and the use of the interludes, impact the suspense and mystery in the novel? Choose three specific interludes and analyze their impact on the story.

What is the role of friendship and trust in the novel? How does this directly contradict the policies of Promise? How do the newfound friendships between J.B., Ramón, and Trey cause the boys to change?

Aside from Moore’s murder, identify one other external conflict and one internal conflict. Discuss both sides of the conflict and whether it was resolved. Analyze how the resolution—or lack thereof—develops the character(s) involved.

What impact does the decision to name Omar’s chapters “Nobody” have on the text? How does it develop his character? How can Omar be compared to Trey, J.B., and Ramón regarding the school’s and society’s expectations?

Compare and contrast the experience of the Promise students with your own experiences in school. What do you see as the positives and negatives of a school like Promise? How does the school, as depicted, comment on the education system in the United States? What does the novel propose as possible solutions to inequalities in the US educational system?

Discuss the familial relationships that each of the boys has in the novel. How do their situations at home differ? How are they similar? Analyze how they are impacted by their families and then identify and discuss one theme of the text related to family.

Discuss the complexities of Uncle T. How do you feel about his character? In what ways is he responsible for his actions, and how is he a product of the same society that affects the three boys? Identify a theme that is conveyed through his development.

Identify and analyze three specific moments that either foreshadow Hicks’s guilt or misdirect the reader to another character. What role do these moments play in the broader story?