Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes Chapters 1-6

  1. At this point, how do you feel about Mark Brittain? What assumptions can you make about him?
  2. What are a couple of teen-issues that have already been mentioned in chapters 1-5?
  3. How do you feel about Moby, Eric Calhoune? How does the author make him likable?
  4. What do you think happened to Sarah Byrnes? What clues has the author given us to make that assumption?
  5. How would you describe Mr. Mautz, the middle school principal? Do you think that some administrators really “hate” certain kids and try to pit two sides against the other? How do you feel about what Mautz did?
  6. Chris Crutcher, the author, uses the flashback technique in this book quite often. What affect does that have on the novel? What does he accomplish by doing this?
  7. Why might Sarah Byrnes be catatonic? What could have “set her off?”
  8. If Eric was Sarah’s best friend, why did she tell Dale Thorton (the bully and trashiest person) her real secret? Why couldn’t she tell Eric?
  9. Eric felt that Sarah wouldn’t be his friend if he wasn’t fat. She responded, “You’re such a lamebrain. It isn’t me who will go away, it’s you. People will just look at you differently than they do now. Other people will like you, and you’ll go to them. It’s not a big deal, Eric. It’s just the way things work.” Do you agree with Sarah’s response? Why or why not? Also, what does Eric’s attempt at staying fat prove about him and his friendship with Sarah Byrnes?

The below are quotes from the novel that help to shape the theme and develop deeper understanding of the characters and issues discussed in the novel. For each quote you will explain what the quote says about the character/issue (significance), how it connects to present day/personal issues, and what deeper meanings it has to uncovering the theme.

  1. “It’s a little scary because, though I have good friends here, I also have mortal enemies, and you don’t want your enemies to know what you think. Or feel.”
  1. “I’d go away too, because the world doesn’t provide any safe place for her. Every day when she gets up, she knows she has to bring her scarred-up face to school, knowing what everyone thinks and won’t say. There’s no place to hide and it never lets up. I’d call that a bad place to live.”
  1. “Every time you let somebody take your stuff, or let them see you hurt, you get killed.”
  1. “You learned a good lesson about pain,” she said back. When you can’t take it anymore, your body stops feeling for you. That was just your body being your friend.”
  1. “You need to remember what’s going on with her right now isn’t about you. You were right, Mobe. We forget she has to get up every day and face herself. This could be her way of taking a vacation.”
  2. “Sometimes I wish I could have religion their way. You know, no responsibilities in life but to cut down people who don’t think the way you do.”
  1. “This way, the more times you outsmart him, the smarter you get--you know. Like a forest animal. Pretty soon you’ll be so good nobody will ever get you. You have to always think about survival. Eric. Trust me.”
  1. “In truth, the only reason I don’t allow people up close and personal with my emotional self is that I hate to be embarrassed. I can’t afford it.”
  1. “I think most of us tell ourselves we don’t want what we can’t have just to make life bearable.”
  1. “Don’t you get it that words are the only way that people like us can fight back?”
  1. “It’s nearly impossible for me to admit to people, be they friend or foe, what is important to me. A counselor friend’s of Mom’s once said that’s merely a function of adolescence—that teenagers are into separating from our parents and others in authority in order to establish our independence. To do that effectively we have to believe ourselves as immortal and are therefore incapable of facing our emotional truths.”
  1. “There’s something about shared pain that keeps you goinig when you might back off on your own.”

Our concept this year is about beliefs. I want you to look at Steve Ellerby’s belief about God. Then, step back and truly reflect on how you understand God and His relationship with you. Seek guidance from your parents and pastor/teacher, etc. Gather your thoughts and write a statement of your belief. Be sure to include facts that support this belief. This should be no longer than a page in length.

“My point is God created a prototype for a reasonably sturdy carbon unit, gave us a perfectly usable place to live, some excellent advice, as in words to live by—most of which are misunderstood by the least of my brethren—and stood back to see what we’d do with it.”

Chapter 1 allusionsChapter 3 allusions

“The Far Side” “The Old Rugged Cross”

“Tweech his own”“The wages of sin is . . .”

Moby Dick“A mighty fortress is . . .”

Raymond Burr Oral Roberts takes aspirin

Arnold SchwarzeneggerRodney Dangerfield

William ConradBerlin Wall

Wicked Witch of the West + waterByrds, Turtles

Bill of RightsDave Clark Five

Fifth AmendmentRolling Stones

Gettysburg AddressBob Dylan, Buddy Holly

Adam and EveWalker Dupree in Stotan

Chapter 2 allusionsMahalia Jackson

Halloween Sarah’s dad was too mean for the roleJohn the Baptist

Bill CosbyGod Squadder

Rocky Balboahieroglyphics

National EnquirerAlex Haley + KuntaKinte

Ch 4 Allusions

Sherlock Holmes and Watson

Chuck Norris

WWII-Germany, Japan, Italy

WWII-USA, Russia, England

Mommy Dearest

CH 5 Allusions

General Eisenhower

Titanic and “save the Women and children first!”

Harley Davidson

Mr. Rogers

Richard Nixon + Watergate

Jacob’s ladder

“From a Distance”

Nancy Griffith

“If thineenemy offend thee. . . “

Reverend Swaggert

WWII + Switzerland

Ch 6 Allusions

Lorna Doones

AAU swim team

“Ripley’s Believe It or Not”