The Body

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are the qualities of a great storyteller, and why are they important? What writers and filmmakers are popularly upheld as great storytellers?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may benefit from a brief introductory discussion on the concept of storytelling as a basic form of human expression in which people share stories with an audience either to entertain, enlighten, give moral instruction, or preserve their culture. Students may have a relative, teacher, or friend who tells great stories; in addition to writers and filmmakers, they may mention a comic artists, entertainers, songwriters, chefs, dancers, photographers, architects, and others. This question might be used to introduce the author Stephen King, commonly considered a master storyteller in the horror and suspense genre, or to preview the way in which The Body is told (the perspective of an adult recalling childhood events).

• “How to Tell a Captivating Story—From a Wedding Toast to a Job Interview” is an article from NPR that reveals storytelling strategies. The site provides a 26-minute listen along with the text. 
• “Storytelling and Cultural Traditions” from National Geographic contextualizes the importance of storytelling over history.

2. Why do teenagers engage in risky behavior? How might their choices as young people lead to long-term consequences or remorse?

Teaching Suggestion: The young characters in this novella take part in a range of risky actions that many readers may find shocking. It may be beneficial to discuss the consequences of youthful carelessness and point out that this book confronts those consequences in a frank way. This question offers an opportunity to introduce the novella’s theme of Coming of Age and the Loss of Innocence.

• This article by UNICEF explains why teens take risks and how adults can support and guide teens during this time in their lives.
• This interactive chart from the CDC shows that deaths due to unintentional injury, such as the one that took character Ray Brower’s life, are tragically common.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a research-based approach to this question, students might compile additional reputable resources on the topic, choose an aspect of teen behavior on which to focus (e.g., the impact of geographic location on risk behavior, common factors motivating risk behavior, or differences in risk behavior among various age groups within the teen years), and create a brief slideshow or presentation to share.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Describe a time you noticed a change in yourself as you grew older (e.g., moving to the adults’ table during holidays, getting a driver’s license, starting high school). How did getting older make you feel? Have you ever felt any regret about the passing of your youth? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: Before addressing the question, students might reflect on the fact that the purpose of certain life milestones such as graduation is to give people the sense of completion of one part of their life and the beginning of another. If students are comfortable doing so, it might be helpful to have them share their reflections to gain a better understanding of what other people experience growing up and how they knew they were getting older.