Name _______________________________ Date: _____________

The Other Side of the Hedge

1. Based on the first two paragraphs of the story, what kind of person is the narrator? Be specific. How does he feel about himself?

2. In a moment of what he considers to be a weakness, what decision does the narrator make?

3. What does he find on the other side of the hedge?

4. How does this scene contrast with what he has just left?

5. What is the difference between the narrator and his rescuer? Explain.

6. Quote the lines on pages 41 and 42 that convey the narrator’s philosophy of life,

7. What two familiar people does the narrator see on the other side of the hedge?

8. What happens to the narrator at the end of the story?

9. Based on the events and the narrator’s statements, what is the theme of the story?

10. What does the road between the hedges symbolize?

11. Does the author intend for the reader to take his side in the question of how to live, or does he present the positive and negative aspects of both sides and leave the reader to choose? Explain your answer.