What effect does Anton have on Patty? How does Patty view her time with Anton? How does their brief interaction shape her future decisions?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to consider the Personal Connection Prompt within the context of the novel. Anton is one of the few people with whom Patty feels comfortable and safe; in fact, she considers him, along with Ruth, to be her two favorite people. As a result, she is willing to risk hiding him. Patty realizes that the person that should feel the closest to—her father—is cold and abusive. Instead, she finds her greatest companions in outcasts: Anton, Ruth, and Freddy. These friendships help Patty gain a better understanding of what she values most in life and what it means to be an adult. (Please note: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt is an important opportunity to discuss with the class the nature of Anton and Patty’s relationship. Students should understand that a physical relationship between a minor like 12-year-old Patty and an adult like Anton, who is in his early 20s, is inappropriate, and that young people should not see this novel as encouraging them to engage this way with adults).

Differentiation Suggestion: For more advanced classes that would benefit from further discussion, the following question may be added to the above prompt: is the relationship between Anton and Patty appropriate? Why or why not? Students who struggle getting started can focus on the conversation between Anton and Patty in Chapter 13, specifically on page 155 when he tells her “Even if you forget everything else I want you to remember that you are a person of value, and you have a friend who loved you enough to give you his most valued possession.