The Running Man Chapter 9 Questions

Chapter Nine:

1. How does the description of the two drawings of Tom Leyton (p.140) parallel Joseph's changing relationship with him?
Joseph's original attempt of drawing Tom Leyton has vague, tentative strokes and displays no connection between the drawing and the real person. However, if one compares Joseph's second try at drawing Tom then one can see the improvements. The second drawing is filled with depth through Joseph's artistic talents, but the image on the paper still does not look much like the real Tom because the eyes remain cold and lifeless while the face is impossible to read. The description of the two drawings parallel with Joseph and Tom's changing relationship because when Joseph first meets Tom he knows absolutely nothing about the mysterious neighbour except for the rumours that are told by Mrs Mossop. But as time goes on and Joseph visits Tom a few more times, they begin to develop a closer bond and Tom starts to reveal his true inner personality.

2. How does Tom Leyton's experience in Vietnam affect your view of him?
Tom Leyton's experience in Vietnam makes me feel sympathetic for him and makes me understand how he became what he is now. If anyone went through what Tom did they would most likely do what he does - hide away from the world. Tom's experience explains to the reader why he never talks to people, is the centre of all the gossip and is anti-social (avoiding everyone in the neighbourhood) because he is scared that the "monster" inside him will unleash and hurt someone close to him.

3. Why is Tom Leyton so bitter towards the chaplain and his blessing of, "God's speed"? (pp.147 - 8)
Tom Leyton is so bitter towards the chaplain and his blessing of "God's speed" because he lost faith in God when he stood frozen to the spot unable to move while he watched Mick (his best friend) get blown apart. Tom questions why God didn't help him to move and warn the rest of the men about the explosion so that the men would have survived the war. After all of Tom's experiences during the Vietnam War he now believes that "God's speed" is just a cruel lie and blames himself for being so stupid to think that God would protect them.

4. At the end of Tom Leyton's story, "the world for Joseph tilted so that even the most familiar and comfortable things appeared strange and oblique." Why does he feel this way?
At the end of Tom Leyton's story Joseph feels very surprised because he does not expect Tom's answer. Joseph asks Tom why he was holding the gun if it was not to kill the chaplain. Tom answers that the gun was for himself. In other words, Tom Leyton was going to shoot himself and commit suicide if none of the guards at the Vietnam camp stopped him and sent him home. Joseph felt like the world was suddenly tipped upside down as such because he honestly didn't think that Tom Leyton would ever think of suicide or that Tom's situation was so bad that he would drive himself to death's hands.

5. What insight does the story of Mrs Battista give to Tom Leyton's character?
From Mrs Battista's story we can get a new insight into Tom Leyton's real personality. When Tom keeps the last of the silkworm eggs and stores them in the refrigerator until spring to patiently wait for them to hatch, it shows a compassionate side to Tom. Even though the eggs look dead he still keeps them for Mrs Battista, who died some time ago in hospital from mental problems. Another example of Tom Leyton's kind side is seen when he watches the cleaner emptying Mrs Battista's silkworm eggs into the bin after he leaves the hospital. Tom takes the eggs home and saves them from dying. He takes them home to care for.

6. What does Tom Leyton mean when he says the silkworms have become his "metaphor for life"? (p.154) What does this tell you about the man?
Tom Leyton means that the silkworms mirror what life is really like. Silkworms are born, they live and they die. Their lives have no purpose and no meaning yet they go on with their pointless existence in blissful ignorance until someone tosses them in a rubbish bin. Tom relates the cycle of silkworms to the human life cycle and tells Joseph that we all are moths, flapping our crippled wings, dreaming that we can fly. This reveals Tom's realisation that there is no real purpose for living after his return from the war, where he has seen so many terrible events happening to people.

The Running Man Chapter 8 Questions

Chapter 8:

1. What is Joseph's reaction to the two photographs he finds in the downstairs room? (pp. 125-6)
When Joseph finds the two photographs in the downstairs room he seems surprised to find the Tom Leyton in the photographs different from the person he now knows. The person in the photographs looked happy and had a friendly smile fixed on his face which was completely different to the present Tom Leyton who dull is and never shows any real emotions. Joseph wonders where the real Tom Leyton has gone and whether or not he would be able to come back.

2. After Joseph speaks of the Running Man, Tom Leyton says, "Perhaps you've never seen him." What does he mean by this?
After Joseph speaks of the Running Man, Tom Leyton says, "Perhaps you've never seen him" which implies that people may not be what they seem, for example, Tom Leyton has trapped his personality inside him because he is afraid of his nightmares about the Vietnam War and does not show his real self. As the story progresses Tom Leyton reveals his true self through Joseph's questions about his past.

3. What connection does Tom Leyton make between himself and the Running Man (p.136). Which of his comments regarding the Running Man do you think could also apply to him?
Tom Leyton makes connections about himself and the Running Man by implying that they have both changed. In other words, they may not have been what they are now a few years ago. The Running Man was probably like any other young person during his youth but life's circumstances have led him to be the person he is now. The following comments about the Running Man also apply to Tom Leyton: "devils come in many forms" and "whether you're running after a desperate dream or away from a nightmare, you can never get one step closer or one step further away". These comments are about the hidden fears which eventually become a part of the person if they do not overcome them.

4. How does the ending of this chapter leave us with an uneasy feeling about Tom Leyton?
The ending of this chapter gives the reader an uneasy feeling about Tom Leyton because when Joseph asks him about what the man in the poem was running from Tom answers as though the poem refers to him because he cannot live with who he is and thinks that he is Satan. When Tom Leyton speaks the name "Satan" it is like the cold finality of a boulder rolled before a tomb and it feels like he is applying this statement to himself which brings tension into the room. Tom Leyton thinks that he is like the man in the poem. He is disgusted by his past which is why he stays at home and does not meet anyone else apart from Caroline, that is, before Joseph comes over to paint his portrait. Tom cannot escape his cocoon (his dark secrets about his past) while Joseph tries to help him to come out of the cocoon and to overcome his obstacles.

The Running Man Chapter 7 Questions

Chapter Seven:

1. Where does Joseph feel that he will find the "real Tom Leyton"? (p.113) Why would he think this?

Joseph feels that he will find the "real Tom Leyton" hidden in the boxes situated in the Leyton's underground room .Joseph knows that the boxes in the room contain Tom's good memories, memories of his life before he joined the army and before he was sent to Vietnam to fight in the War. As Tom's sister, Caroline, explained to Joseph, her brother was totally different before he went to war. Joseph was sure that if Tom Leyton overcame his fears and his horrible past he could become the man he was in the scrapbooks, old diaries, photo albums, picture frames and newspaper clippings hidden in the boxes.

2. Tom Leyton is described as looking at a book "like a father at his child's coffin." Explain this use of simile. Do you think it is effective?
This simile is used to link Tom Leyton's feelings about books to that of a father who has just lost his child. Just as a father is looking at his dead child in a coffin so Tom is looking at the book with the same sadness, emotion and expression because the book symbolizes Tom's death, his loss of innocence, the loss of all his pleasures, hopes and dreams. Both their feelings are sad and depressing because they have both lost something which is important to them. In Tom Leyton's instance the book represents his life because he liked to read and play with words. He describes his love of books and reading as "breathing" After the war he completely lost himself as he became haunted by his fears and stopped reading or "breathing" as Tom Leyton had put it. I think the author is very clever and his use of this similie is very effective and appropriate because it emphasises the gravity of Tom's loss of innocence and the trauma he has suffered because of his experiences in Vietnam.

3. After Tom Leyton tells the story about searching for silkworms when he was a child he asks Joseph, "Do you believe in miracles?" How would you respond to this question?
In response to this question I would reply: yes, I believe in miracles. According to Tom Leyton, perhaps people have the wrong idea about miracles. Miracles do not have to be spectacular like those that turn water into wine or make the blind see. In fact, miracles happen in everyday life, although they are slow and tedious compared to the spectacular ones. Miracles could include the way a glacier carves out a valley; even though it might take years it is still a miracle.

Miracles are often the small stuff: a kind word, a supportive call or note, a hug, a gesture that leaves someone feeling a bit more hopeful about others. Whole days, every day, are full of miracles.

Miracles are not always miraculous except to those who receive them. A miracle can be a tender listening ear willing to hear the problems and share the weight of burdens too hard to bear alone. A miracle can be taking the time to read to a child who has no other person there to take the time to do so. A miracle can be cooking a meal for someone whose pantry is empty and then spending time with them just sharing a meal and good conversation.

Miracles can have many faces. Young or old, sick or well, rich or poor, and the list goes on. You never know if during your daily routine, that perhaps you might be somebody's long awaited miracle or just the thing they may have been secretly praying for. When a person's heart is open to the needs they see around them every day, then every day can be a miracle day.

The Running Man Chapter 6 Questions

Chapter Six:

1. When Joseph arrives for his second drawing session, what changes have occurred to the silkworm eggs and to Tom Leyton?
When Joseph arrives for his second drawing session, changes have occurred to the silkworm eggs and to Tom Leyton. The silkworms have hatched into hundreds of active black shapes which are busily eating mulberry leaves as Joseph has a close look at them. Joseph is surprised by the fact that the broken shells of the silkworm eggs did hatch even though they looked dead during the last time he visited. Another change Joseph recognizes is Tom Leyton's appearance. According to his sister Caroline, every time the silkworm eggs hatch Tom goes to have a haircut. Joseph thinks that Tom's haircut does not change his hard and mysterious look but it does make him look neater with his hair brushed back, cut and tied behind his head and with his beard tidily trimmed.

2. Read the description of Tom Leyton's room. (pp.84-5) What does the room suggest about the man who lives there?
According to the description of Tom Leyton's room on page 84 and 85, it suggests that the man who lives there is as normal as anyone in the neighbourhood. The room consists of bare walls which are a dull tan colour, a floral green carpet that covers the floor, a neatly made bed, double windows, a large closet, two bookcases which contain a few old newspapers, a desk which has several pieces of stationery placed on top of it and a cork notice board which has a few pieces of paper pinned onto it. None of the furniture in the room gives anyone the feeling that the man who lives there has dark secrets and is mysterious to the neighbours.

3. What do the two drawings that Joseph sees on the notice board - Escher's angels and devils and the illustration of Frankenstein's monster - suggest to you about Tom Leyton? (pp.86-7)
The two drawings that Joseph sees on the notice board suggest special meanings about Tom Leyton. The drawing of Escher's angels and devils implies that the world has both good and bad things. For example: in this drawing there are bat-like devils who have outstretched wings and sweet innocent angels that only exist if the other does. The spaces between the angels created the devils while the devils allowed the angels to exist by their shape.The illustration of Frankenstein's monster explains how any dangerous person could look normal. For example: the Frankenstein monster in Tom Leyton's drawing has no features of a stereotyped one. There are no scars or bolts on the face, no weird robot-like posture and no insane, distorted or subhuman appearance. In fact, the monster just looks like an ordinary person. When Tom Leyton speaks about his drawing, he gives a message to the reader that most monsters do look like a typical person and that Joseph should be careful who he befriends.

4. Joseph comments that the image of Frankenstein's monster "just looks like a normal man". What is the effect of Tom Leyton's reply, "Most monsters do"?
When Tom Leyton replies to Joseph that most monsters do look like a normal man, it seems that he is applying that fact to himself. The text suggests that Tom believes that he is an evil person who has seen a lot of bad things happening in the world (especially during the time he was a soldier in the Vietnam War). The effect of Tom's words builds on his character and personality. The words also seem to reflect on his dark past which has not been revealed to the reader yet.

5. In what ways could the lines of the poem that Tom Leyton recites relate to him? (pp.95-6)
The lines of the poem that Tom Leyton recites relate to his life. They seem to give the idea of how silkworms are imprisoned and how they are not allowed to be set free to Tom Leyton himself. They relate to him because like the silkworms, he is kept captive and cannot escape his dark secrets and memories about the terrible Vietnam War that haunts him. The horrible recollections will always keep replaying in his mind and no matter how much he wants to get rid of them he cannot because they simply will not escape his head.

6. How has Joseph's impression of Tom Leyton changed by the end of Part I? What has caused this change?
At the end of Part I, Joseph's impression of Tom Leyton has changed because he now thinks that underneath the strange and silent man he encountered, there is a part of Tom Leyton who is kind. Joseph knows that the friendly side of Tom exists because of the way he sees him looking after the silkworms, the way Tom reads the silkworm poem with a rich voice and such emotion and finally the way Tom shyly slips the poem into Joseph's art equipment.

7. Why do you think Part I of the novel is called "All Their Lives in a Box"?
I think Part I of the novel is called "All Their Lives in a Box" because it talks about how Joseph and Tom's life is related to the life of a silkworm. Their lives are both "in a box". This is because Joseph is really timid and shy but when he meets Tom Leyton (the subject he was going to draw for his art project) he has to face his fear of overcoming his nervousness and anxiety. Tom has to overcome his fear of his darkest secrets about the Vietnam War. Until these fears have been conquered their lives will be imprisoned and caged like silkworms.

Feeling Self-Conscious and Nervous

Joseph feels nervous and self-conscious as he tries to draw Tom Leyton. (pp.62-3) Write about a time when you have felt like this - perhaps performing or speaking in front of a group, sitting for an exam or meeting/going out with someone for the first time.

A time when I felt nervous and self-conscious was on the first day of preschool. I did not have any friends in Australia at the time because I just moved from my home country - Taiwan. Due to this, I had left all my childhood friends and came into a whole new country which had a completely different culture to Taiwan. Another obstacle I faced was that I did not know how to speak English very fluently. This was a hardship I had to face. I remember one day before preschool started I began to feel afraid that the other students would not like me and I would not be able to make friends at all. In the end, everything worked out fine because the teachers were very friendly and invited me into preschool with a welcoming smile. This is my example of a time where I felt nervous and self-conscious in my life.

The Running Man Chapter 5 Questions

Chapter Five:

1. How has this chapter been written and structured to build the tension and suspense leading up to Tom Leyton's appearance?
This chapter has been written and structured to build the tension and suspense leading up to Tom Leyton's appearance by an unexpected turn in the storyline and the amount of detail the author includes. Michael Gerard Bauer describes Joseph's feelings during every event that happens which gives the reader a clear understanding of how he is feeling. The unexpected turn that is included in this chapter is that Tom Leyton is not going to come out and meet Joseph. He seems to be not up to it that day. "A bit off-colour" as Caroline explains. However, in the end, Tom still comes out to see Joseph and they meet for the first time. This comes as a surprise because the author suggests that Tom is not going to meet anyone this close in person.

2. What impressions does Joseph gain from his first meeting with Tom Leyton? What does he notice about his appearance, his eyes and his voice?
At Joseph's first meeting with Tom Leyton, he is quite shocked to see that Tom's face is strong and engaging, although it invites no communication. It was very different from the wild rumours about disfigurement and deformity that Joseph had heard about from the neighbours. Joseph decides that Tom's face might have been handsome once. Perhaps it still is, but it looks as if it has seen too much and does not care to see anymore. Tom has long hair which falls in sandy waves over his ears. A full beard fans out in streaks of grey below his mouth but elsewhere shows patches of reddy-brown. Slight bags are noticible and a tinge of red can be seen in his complexion. Tom's eyes show the emotion of fear because he is not used to having visitors around in his home. When Tom finally speaks he replies in a brief and monotone voice which lingers in the room like the deep rumble of shifting rock.

3. Why do you think Joseph offers to return to the Leytons'? Why do you think he seems to be "drawn towards the shadowy figure of Tom Leyton"?

I think that Joseph offers to return to the Leytons' because he is intrigued by Tom and wants to find out more information about him. Joseph seems to be "drawn towards the shadowy figure of Tom Leyton" because he wants to find out how his past has affected him to become who he is today.

4. Why does Joseph find his sketches of Tom Leyton unsatisfactory? Why is his memory of his art teacher Mr De Groot significant?

Joseph finds his sketches of Tom Leyton unsatisfactory because he considers them to be shapes without a substance. He knows that there is more to Tom Leyton because he has seen glimpses of Tom's deep emotions through a flash of fear in his eyes, when his strong hands were cradling the silkworm box and the full rich voice that still came through in spite of his coldness. Joseph's memory of his art teacher Mr De Groot is significant because he believed that in order for someone to paint or carve the outside shape of a human being one would need to know what lies beneath them.So, in other words, to give artwork life and humanity one would need to know what the subject was thinking and feeling.

The Running Man Chapter 4 Questions

Chapter Four:

1. Mrs Mossop reminds Joseph of a bird. Why? How does this image change as she talks with his mother?
Mrs Mossop reminds Joseph of a bird because of the way she stands and behaves. Mrs Mossop has a thin, upright posture and always wears neat, formal clothes. She sticks her nose into everything, hunting around the neighbourhood for juicy gossip. When Joseph's mother mentions her previous conversation with Caroline Leyton, Joseph then sees Mrs Mossop like a bird of prey, widening its eyes as if sensing movement in the grass. He knows that Mrs Mossop will never let such a tasty morsel of gossip pass.

2. What causes Joseph to change his mind and tell his mother and Mrs Mossop that he "probably" would draw Tom Leyton?

Overhearing an argument about "nothing" between Joseph's mother and Mrs Mossop causes Joseph to change his mind about drawing Tom Leyton. During the argument the two women comment that Joseph is too timid, too scared and too much of a baby to face Tom Leyton by himself. They also think that Joseph is too shy to even say boo to a goose and believe that "the cat had got his tongue". This angers Joseph and by the time he realises what he is doing he has already said that he might draw Tom Leyton for his art project.

3. What feelings and memories does the mango tree arouse in Joseph?
When Joseph leans back against the trunk of the mango tree he thinks that the outside world seems to no longer exist. Joseph remembers that as a child he used to play inside the mango tree, imagining that he was Tarzan in his jungle hideaway. At other times Joseph would pretend that he was a pirate in the rigging of a sailing ship and would climb to the uppermost branches and poke his head through the canopy, thinking that he was in the crow's nest. Basically, the mango tree was a place where Joseph could let go of his imagination and take a break from what was happening in reality.

4. What effect does the final incident in this chapter create? How has language been used to achieve this?
The final incident in this chapter makes an unexpected turn in the storyline. This is because the reader probably thinks that Joseph is going to climb down from the tree and eventually reach his house safe and sound. However, Joseph slips and falls down the tree instead. This event makes the story slightly more interesting. Many verbs and adjectives are used to achieve this effect. The author describes the fall down the tree in detail and describes Joseph's feelings clearly. Then, in the last sentence, the author makes the mango tree "turn against" Joseph and makes it sound scary and opposing. Quote from book: "All around him the mango tree towered in mocking silence" (p.53). The simile "the crack of the branch and the sudden drop that followed hit Joseph's heart like a jolt of electricity" is also used to help the words create effect. It describes the shock Joseph experiences when the branch of the tree suddenly broke and he ends up falling down the tree.