At the beginning of the novel, Lucas helps Charles from a creek. What is the significance of this meeting, and how does it influence Charles’s actions throughout the rest of the novel? What is the effect of relaying these events through flashback instead of in proper chronological order?

Consider the novel’s use of stream of consciousness, close-reading one passage that makes use of the device. What is the passage trying to communicate, and how does stream of consciousness help communicate it?

Examine Gavin as a representative of the law. Does he believe the law can deliver justice for Lucas? Why or why not?