Characters
Q: Who is the young boy who suggests the idea of aliens?
A: Tommy
Q: What happens that causes the people of Maple Street to panic?
-A sudden power outage or
-Electricity stops working
What is the main theme of the teleplay?
Fear and suspicion can destroy a community.
What does “scapegoat” mean?
A person unfairly blamed for something
Q: Which character is the first to be accused because his car starts by itself?
A: Les Goodman
Q: Why do the neighbors think Les Goodman is suspicious?
His car starts by itself
He’s awake late at night
He stares up at the sky
What message does the story give about scapegoating (blaming someone)?
Blaming others without evidence is dangerous.
What time of day does the power outage on Maple Street begin?
6: 43 p.m./late afternoon
Q: Who is the character that tries to calm everyone down and promote reason?
A: Steve
Q: What object falling from the sky starts the whole chain of events?
A meteor (or what they think is a meteor)
What happens when the neighbors assume the worst about each other?
They judge people based on fear.
What television show does the teleplay come from?
The Twilight Zone
Q: Who is shot at the end because the neighbors panic?
A: Pete Van Horn
Q: What do the neighbors do that shows how fear has taken over?
They turn on each other / accuse one another / form a mob
What does the teleplay say about mob's?
A mob can make people act without thinking or violently.
What rumor starts after Tommy mentions “monsters”?
The rumor that one of the neighbors might be an alien
Q: Which character is the first to suggest that the monster could be someone on Maple Street?
Tommy
Q: What event shows that things have gone out of control just before the ending?
A: Charlie shoots Pete Van Horn
What does the story suggest is the real monster on Maple Street?
Humans
What prediction do the aliens make about the other towns?
That the same thing can happen somewhere else. /Humans will destroy themselves