Characters
What details suggest that the landlady's friendliness may be deceptive?
Fixation on Billy's appearance.
Excessive sweetness.
Constant staring.
What is the first, small clue in the story that foreshadows that the boarding house may not be safe?
The sign “BED AND BREAKFAST” seems strangely attractive, even hypnotic to Billy, drawing him in.
You are a master prestidigitator!
You swap points with another team and they don't even notice!
Such amazing skill!
What does 'tantalizing' mean?
(page 89, first line)
Tormenting or teasing with the sight or promise of something unattainable.
Identify the figurative language.
But this person was like a jack-in-the-box.
Double points if explained correctly.
Simile: shows the unexpectedness of the event. It also foreshadows how scary and dangerous the woman actually is.
Why does Billy admire Mr Greenslade from the Head Office?
Billy is ambitious, eager to impress authority figures, and wants to become one.
Tickle another team so hard that they drop 4000 points, which you take before they realise.
No one saw it. You are the perfect criminal!
What type of narrator tells the story?
A third-person limited narrator who mostly shows Billy’s perspective.
What does 'compulsion' mean?
(page 86, 5th line of the second paragraph on the right)
an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way.
Identify the figurative language:
... when all at once his eye was caught again and held in the most peculiar manner by the small notice...
Double points if explained correctly.
personification: attributes human characteristics to the sign, making it magical, hypnotic, powerful, as if it has a mind of its own. This creates an unsettling feeling in the reader and is used to foreshadow trouble.
What character trait of the landlady is revealed by the way she immediately opens the door when Billy rings the bell?
She appears to have been watching him when he was standing out the window. This suggests that she had already chosen him to be a victim before he rang the bell.
Why is Billy’s discovery of the names in the guestbook important to the plot?
Because it is very strange that there have been only two guests in three years. This is the turning point when the reader starts to confirm their suspicions.
Why is the narrator’s focus on Billy’s thoughts important to amping up the story’s tension?
It limits information, so readers gradually discover clues alongside Billy.
You use a rocket launcher to blow up another team's fortress, making them lose 6000 points.
Yikes.
Identify the figurative language:
“bed and breakfast,” it said. “Bed and breakfast, bed and breakfast, bedand breakfast.”
Double points if explained correctly.
repetition: highlights the inexplicable and sudden fascination Billy had for the sign, creating an unusual spike of tension.
You found a wallet containing 5000 points! You have three choices:
A) Take it to the police station.
B) Take all 5000 points for your team.
C) Split the points in half with another team.
Hope you make the right choice!
What is especially notorious about the climax of this story?
That it is very subdued and calm. The protagonist never feels tension.
How does the narrator hint that Billy’s judgment may not be reliable?
Billy repeatedly convinces himself that all is normal despite several strange details.
What does rapacious mean?
(page 86, 8th line of the third paragraph on the left)
Excessively greedy.
Landladies who charge too much for a room to stay the night, taking advantage of travellers who might not have other choices.
You found a Protective Shield that will save you from one adverse effect. It's made of glass, though, so it will break when used.
Lucky you!
How does the landlady’s polite behavior contrast with her true nature?
She behaves kindly and warmly, but this politeness hides her sinister intentions.
To make the reader put two and two together and realise the protagonist's likely deadly fate. This realisation has a great impact on the reader, creating the peak of tension after the story is over.
How does the narrator’s neutral tone make the ending more disturbing?
The calm tone contrasts with the dark implication, making the horror feel understated and chilling.
What does 'dithering' mean?
(page 86, 9th line of the third paragraph on the left)
being indecisive, hesitating.
Identify the two instances of figurative language in this extract:
He saw his landlady sailing into the room with a large silver tea tray in her hands. She was holding it well out in front of her and rather high up, as though the tray were a pair of reins on a frisky horse.
Get double points if you explain why the author used them.
metaphor: sailing -> comparing the landlady with a boat, showing how big and fast an entrance she made into the room.
as though the tray were a pair of reins on a frisky horse: simile -> complements the previous metaphor by showing the fast pace and energy the old lady had.