Chapter 10 (Yep, 46 pages)
1. What grade is Peekay in? (167)
2. In January, 1941, Peekay and Doc have been together a little over a year. How old is PK?
What happens that day? How does Peekay get hurt?
3. “Not long after I’d first met Doc ...I had asked him why I was a sinner and what I had done to be condemned to eternal hellfire unless I was born again” (176). What is Doc’s answer? (read it and put it in your own words)
4. Why won’t anyone tell him what happened to Doc? How does he find out?
5. Earlier (p. 162) Doc had advised “Always listen to yourself, Peekay. It is better to be wrong than simply to
follow convention.” Does his mother follow this advice?________ How do you know? Does Peekay? _________ How do you know? Does Mrs. Boxall? ______ How do you know?
6. How old is Marie? _______ What is her life like? (183)
7. Describe how Peekay got the truth to the authorities.
8. “A man must think what he is inside. What he is on the outside, how can this matter?” (188) Comment. What
might the words above have to do with Big Hettie?
9. When Peekay goes to the prison, he gives the warder a note. Who reads it?
10. Peekay sits in the waiting area 30 minutes, giving rise to a small imbroglio. What excuse does he give Lieutenant Smit and Klipkop? What is their reaction? What is the effect on the reader of this scene?
11. What does Lieutenant Smit say when Peekay asks to be taught to box?
12. Tell about the incident with the “stolen” biscuits. (Biscuits are cookies.) How do you feel about Klipkop and Lieutenant Smit after that scene? Why did the author put the scenes about the waiting room and the boxing conversation before the biscuit scene?
13. “He had said nothing when we left the kommandant’s office but I was too good at
listening to silence not to know I was in real trouble” (199). Explain.
14. Towards the end of the chapter we learn more about Doc’s past. What does he tell PK?
15. How does the concert in the square go?
16. “No more wolves. Absoloodle” (213). Explain.
Chapter 11 207-230
1. Describe Geel Piet. (212)
2. What did Peekay do between 5:30 and 7:30 each morning?
3. At what was Geel Piet a genius?
4. What is the greatest luxury in the prison system?
5. What happened to Snotnose?
6. What was the“Sailor’s Salute”?
7. What happened between John Hopkins, Geoffrey Scruby, and Peekay?
8. How did Mrs. Boxall help in the letter writing service?
9.What was the “Sandwich Fund”?
10. What was Peekay’s reputation among prisoners at this point in time?
11. How did Klipkop earn his nickname?
Chapter 12 231-255
1.How old was Peekay on his 1st fight?
2.What was Peekay’s ‘nicest present ever’?
3.Who was the surprise visitor sitting in the front seat of the truck?
4.What was Peekay’s new nickname after the 1st fight?
5.Why was the referee worried before Peekay’s fight with Kroon?
6. What did Peekay imagine right before the fight?
7.What was wrong with Kroon in the 3rd round?
Chapter 13 256-279
1.Peekay discovers a special mental ability after his first fights that is a great advantage to him. What is this special
ability? (p. 266)
2.What is Pastor Mulvery’s explanation of blacks and whites distribution in heaven? (267)
3.In discussing Marie’s conversions to Christianity, Peekay describes one as an almost perfect solution to when to convert. What is the perfect time to convert to Christianity, according to this? (p. 270)
4. Marie has a pimple problem that is cured. What are the two explanations for her cure?(272)
5. Why do the people conclude PK is a Zulu chief disguised as a white man?
(273)
6. When and how do the prisoners learn Peekay won his fights in his first competition? (p. 273)
7. Identify the speaker: “Geel Piet, you just a yellow kaffir, but I got to hand it to you, you a good coach.” (p. 274)
8.Something makes Peekay understand “racism is a primary force of evil designed to destroy good men.” What brings this realization? (p. 275)
9. Who is Miss Bornstein? (276-279)
10. List 3 facts about Lt. Borman that reveal the sort of person he is. (p. 279-81)
Chapter 14 280-306
1. What is Doc’s “price” for remaining in the prison, if necessary, to play for the inspector? (p. 291)
2. Identify the speaker: “Give a black prisoner a pinkie and he eats your whole arm off at the shoulder, I’m telling you, man.” (p. 293)
3. How is Peekay dressed for the concert? (p. 294)
4. Doc is worried because someone is late for the concert. Who? (295)
5. What unusual sight do all of the group see at the end of the concert, and what is the reason for this sight/event? (299)
6. What explanation do the People have for this sight? (299)
7. When Peekay takes his gloves back to the gym after the concert, what does he find? (p. 301)
8. Identify the speaker: “Shhhh, don’t cry, champ, don’t cry,” he whispered as he rocked and rocked me. “Shhhh. I willl avenge you, this I promise.” (p. 301)
9. Identify the speaker: “Just a temporary hiccup, we can’t have Geel Piet thinking we’re a bunch of milksops. I have a plan.” (p. 305)
10. Gert tells Peekay about the reaction of the prison administrators in Pretoria to the concert for the black prisoners.
What was their reaction? (p. 308)
11. Doc plays the “Requiem for Geel Piet”—what music is it? (p. 308)
12. Klipkop tells the boxers Captain Smit wants them to come back into the gym after they’ve changed. What do they witness there? (211-215)
13. What information did Geel Piet refuse to give Lt. Borman? (313)
14. What curse from Captain Smit ends the encounter? (314)
15. What permission has Mrs. Boxall gotten from the Brigadier? (315)
Chapter 15 281-320
1.Name the speaker, and explain the issue this comment resolves. (pp. 318-322) “Well, if he lad has direct access to the prisoners, could he not distribute tracts and that sort of thing?”
2.Why were cigarettes in the prisons referred to as “King Georgies”? (p. 323)
3. Explain what happens to Lt. Borman. (pp. 324; 332)
4. Name the speaker, and explain the situation: “He’s going to tell you now, Lord. . . . Show him the swatch, man!” (p. 328)
5. What special skill do we discover Old Mr. Bornstein has, besides playing chess, that comes in handy at this time? (p. 331)
2. In January, 1941, Peekay and Doc have been together a little over a year. How old is PK?
What happens that day? How does Peekay get hurt?
3. “Not long after I’d first met Doc ...I had asked him why I was a sinner and what I had done to be condemned to eternal hellfire unless I was born again” (176). What is Doc’s answer? (read it and put it in your own words)
4. Why won’t anyone tell him what happened to Doc? How does he find out?
5. Earlier (p. 162) Doc had advised “Always listen to yourself, Peekay. It is better to be wrong than simply to
follow convention.” Does his mother follow this advice?________ How do you know? Does Peekay? _________ How do you know? Does Mrs. Boxall? ______ How do you know?
6. How old is Marie? _______ What is her life like? (183)
7. Describe how Peekay got the truth to the authorities.
8. “A man must think what he is inside. What he is on the outside, how can this matter?” (188) Comment. What
might the words above have to do with Big Hettie?
9. When Peekay goes to the prison, he gives the warder a note. Who reads it?
10. Peekay sits in the waiting area 30 minutes, giving rise to a small imbroglio. What excuse does he give Lieutenant Smit and Klipkop? What is their reaction? What is the effect on the reader of this scene?
11. What does Lieutenant Smit say when Peekay asks to be taught to box?
12. Tell about the incident with the “stolen” biscuits. (Biscuits are cookies.) How do you feel about Klipkop and Lieutenant Smit after that scene? Why did the author put the scenes about the waiting room and the boxing conversation before the biscuit scene?
13. “He had said nothing when we left the kommandant’s office but I was too good at
listening to silence not to know I was in real trouble” (199). Explain.
14. Towards the end of the chapter we learn more about Doc’s past. What does he tell PK?
15. How does the concert in the square go?
16. “No more wolves. Absoloodle” (213). Explain.
Chapter 11 207-230
1. Describe Geel Piet. (212)
2. What did Peekay do between 5:30 and 7:30 each morning?
3. At what was Geel Piet a genius?
4. What is the greatest luxury in the prison system?
5. What happened to Snotnose?
6. What was the“Sailor’s Salute”?
7. What happened between John Hopkins, Geoffrey Scruby, and Peekay?
8. How did Mrs. Boxall help in the letter writing service?
9.What was the “Sandwich Fund”?
10. What was Peekay’s reputation among prisoners at this point in time?
11. How did Klipkop earn his nickname?
Chapter 12 231-255
1.How old was Peekay on his 1st fight?
2.What was Peekay’s ‘nicest present ever’?
3.Who was the surprise visitor sitting in the front seat of the truck?
4.What was Peekay’s new nickname after the 1st fight?
5.Why was the referee worried before Peekay’s fight with Kroon?
6. What did Peekay imagine right before the fight?
7.What was wrong with Kroon in the 3rd round?
Chapter 13 256-279
1.Peekay discovers a special mental ability after his first fights that is a great advantage to him. What is this special
ability? (p. 266)
2.What is Pastor Mulvery’s explanation of blacks and whites distribution in heaven? (267)
3.In discussing Marie’s conversions to Christianity, Peekay describes one as an almost perfect solution to when to convert. What is the perfect time to convert to Christianity, according to this? (p. 270)
4. Marie has a pimple problem that is cured. What are the two explanations for her cure?(272)
5. Why do the people conclude PK is a Zulu chief disguised as a white man?
(273)
6. When and how do the prisoners learn Peekay won his fights in his first competition? (p. 273)
7. Identify the speaker: “Geel Piet, you just a yellow kaffir, but I got to hand it to you, you a good coach.” (p. 274)
8.Something makes Peekay understand “racism is a primary force of evil designed to destroy good men.” What brings this realization? (p. 275)
9. Who is Miss Bornstein? (276-279)
10. List 3 facts about Lt. Borman that reveal the sort of person he is. (p. 279-81)
Chapter 14 280-306
1. What is Doc’s “price” for remaining in the prison, if necessary, to play for the inspector? (p. 291)
2. Identify the speaker: “Give a black prisoner a pinkie and he eats your whole arm off at the shoulder, I’m telling you, man.” (p. 293)
3. How is Peekay dressed for the concert? (p. 294)
4. Doc is worried because someone is late for the concert. Who? (295)
5. What unusual sight do all of the group see at the end of the concert, and what is the reason for this sight/event? (299)
6. What explanation do the People have for this sight? (299)
7. When Peekay takes his gloves back to the gym after the concert, what does he find? (p. 301)
8. Identify the speaker: “Shhhh, don’t cry, champ, don’t cry,” he whispered as he rocked and rocked me. “Shhhh. I willl avenge you, this I promise.” (p. 301)
9. Identify the speaker: “Just a temporary hiccup, we can’t have Geel Piet thinking we’re a bunch of milksops. I have a plan.” (p. 305)
10. Gert tells Peekay about the reaction of the prison administrators in Pretoria to the concert for the black prisoners.
What was their reaction? (p. 308)
11. Doc plays the “Requiem for Geel Piet”—what music is it? (p. 308)
12. Klipkop tells the boxers Captain Smit wants them to come back into the gym after they’ve changed. What do they witness there? (211-215)
13. What information did Geel Piet refuse to give Lt. Borman? (313)
14. What curse from Captain Smit ends the encounter? (314)
15. What permission has Mrs. Boxall gotten from the Brigadier? (315)
Chapter 15 281-320
1.Name the speaker, and explain the issue this comment resolves. (pp. 318-322) “Well, if he lad has direct access to the prisoners, could he not distribute tracts and that sort of thing?”
2.Why were cigarettes in the prisons referred to as “King Georgies”? (p. 323)
3. Explain what happens to Lt. Borman. (pp. 324; 332)
4. Name the speaker, and explain the situation: “He’s going to tell you now, Lord. . . . Show him the swatch, man!” (p. 328)
5. What special skill do we discover Old Mr. Bornstein has, besides playing chess, that comes in handy at this time? (p. 331)