This novel reports the details of Philip’s conflicts in Ms. Narwin’s class in various ways, demonstrating the conflict of Truth Versus Perception. How do the differing viewpoints of the events provoke strong emotional responses from the community?

Consider the following:

• Are the viewpoints of people with first-hand perceptions of the events (for instance, Ms. Narwin or Phillip) more valuable than those of people with secondhand perceptions (Philip’s parents, the radio host, the principal, or others)?
• Is singing the national anthem less respectful than listening silently? Which groups in society are most upset with Philip’s behavior? Why?
• What are the roles of teachers and administrators in teaching or enforcing a child’s sense of patriotism? Who gets to make these decisions?
• How do different characters’ views of Patriotism and Education affect their reactions?
• Do any characters show signs of sexist, racist, or otherwise bigoted behavior?  

Teaching Suggestion: You might also want to consider a role-play version of a Socratic Seminar in which you assign students specific perspectives from the novel (Philip, Ms. Narwin, Philip’s peers, local reports, radio host, radio listeners, administration, Coach Jamison, etc.) and present them with several open-ended questions about who is responsible for the conflicts in the plot and how they should be settled.