“THE BODY” by Stephen King

Chapter 1-3

1. What point of view is the story told by?

2. Explain what happened to the narrator when he was twelve going on thirteen.

3. In what decade does the story take place?

4. Describe the treehouse, and what the boys do there.

5. What happened to Teddy’s ear?

6. Who is the body?

Chapter 4

1. How did Vern learn about the body?

2. Describe how Charlie and Billy found the body. Why don’t they want to call the cops?

Chapter 5

1. What is the Clubhouse boys’ plan?

2. Why do they want to tell the police about the body?

3. Why do they think that those who found the body won’t get angry at their telling the police?

4. What do we know about Chris’s family?

Chapter 6

1. What do we know about the narrator’s family?

2. Why does he say that he was an “invisible man”?

3. Why did he become a writer?

4. Describe Gordie and Denny’s relationship.

Chapter 9

1. Where is the narrator at the beginning of the chapter?

2. Why does he go down the back stairs?

3. What does Chris show him?

4. What do we know about the bullets?

5. How does Gordie feel when he takes the gun?

6. And after the shot?

7. What’s Chris’s reaction?

8. What does Vern say about his tent?

9. How far are they going to walk?

Chapter 10-11

1. Describe the dump.

2. What is the name of the dump’s manager?

3. What kind of dog is Chopper?

4. Why does the narrator say that Teddy is crazy?

5. What is a goocher?

Chapter 12

1. Describe the scene at the grocery store.

2. What happens when Gordie is cutting through the junkyard?

3. Describe what happens between Milo and Teddy.

Chapter 13-14

1. What is unusual about Teddy’s crying?

2. What is Chris good at?

3. What does Chris tell Teddy to make him stop crying?

4. What does Gordie say about his feelings for his own father?

5. Tell about Vern’s nightmare.

6. Explain Gordie’s statement: “I certainly didn’t imagine then that in about a dozen years I’d turn a simple example of the night-sweats into about a million dollars”.

7. Describe the scene on the bridge.

Chapter 15-16

1. Summarize the story that Gordie tells his friends.

Chapter 17

1. Chris tells remarkable things to Gordie. What are these things?

2. Chris was beaten very hard by his father over some milk-money. Describe what happened.

Chapter 18-19

1. Briefly describe the scene at the campsite.

2. What does Gordie feel/imagine when he thinks about Ray Brower?

3. What happens in the middle of the night?

Chapter 20

1. Write about Gordie’s encounter with the deer.

2. What do we know about his adult life?

3. What does he say about good things in life?

Chapter 21-24

1. Describe the scene at the pond.

2. What is the mood of the boys in chapter 23?

3. At the end of chapter 24, what do we know that the boys do not?

Chapter 25

1. Summarize the events of this chapter.

Chapter 26-27

1. Why does Gordie react violently?

2. How does Chris save him from danger?

3. Describe Ace’s gang.

Chapter 28-34

1. Describe the resolution of the story.