Long Way Down Theme Questions
Quiz by Melinda Stinson
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- Q1
Which quote below from the text supports the development of the theme?
"But I didn't cry. Didn't snitch. Knew exactly who killed Mark. Knew I could get him"
"Then Dani asked, 'What if you miss?"
"Shawn ain't say nothing to the cops, to no one, just locked himself in his room for hours and the next day I caught him sitting on his bed pushing bullets into gun clip"
"And Shawn always said if a girl says she knows you but you ain't never met her then she's been watching you"
60s - Q2
In what ways does the interaction between Will and his father develop the theme of the text?
His father insisted that he follow all of the rules in order to be a man
His father helps him realize that if he seeks revenge he could also be killed or hurt
His father thought that his actions would help build up the family
His father showed him the way to forgive Carlson Riggs
60s - Q3
How does the sentence below shape the theme of the text?:
"Another thing about the rules. They weren't meant to be broken. They were meant for the broken to follow"
It shows us why Will's mother didn't understand the rules
It explains that the rules create destruction and hurt for the whole community
It explains why nobody writes the rules down
It shows how Will has no choice but to follow the rules
60s - Q4
How does Will's internal conflict develop the theme of the text?
Will has conflict about which time of day to kill Riggs so that he can avoid capture.
Will has to decide whether to seek revenge, even thought it will cause harm
Will has to decide which person killed Shawn so that he can get revenge
Will's sadness makes him complete actions he wouldn't have done before
60s - Q5
Open the book to p. 222. Read this page carefully and then answer the following question:
How does the metaphor in this passage develop the theme of the novel?
It gives a glimpse of the lost innocence of Will after he has gone through the grief of Shawn's death.
It shows us how much Will valued his childhood with Dani and wishes that gun violence hadn't changed their lives.
It lets us know the pain Will and Shawn felt because they didn't have a father who could play on the playground with them like the others
It shows how the children of the community are following their parents and older generations by continuing the destructive cycle of violence
300s - Q6
Open the book to p. 28. Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:
What details from the text develop the idea that gun violence is destructive to the whole community?
"The crowd backs its way into buildings and down blocks until nothing is left but the tape"
"The tape framed it like it was art. And the next day, kids would play mummy with it"
"Shawn was zipped into a bag and rolled away"
"The tape lets people know that this is a murder scene"
300s