Two Can Keep a Secret

Based on lessons from the novel, should Ellery reveal Peter’s confession that he meant to kill Sadie instead of Sarah? Provide a strong rationale. What would be the likely ramifications of sharing? Of not sharing? Incorporate text details, plot points, and character traits in your answer. Consider these points as you formulate a response:

• Over the course of the story, which characters keep a secret and why?
• When are truths revealed and why? What impact does each truth have on characters?
• How does Sadie sharing a secret with her daughter affect the two of them?
• What shifts in the relationship between Mia and her sister?
• How are Malcolm and Duncan alike and different?

Teaching Suggestion: This topic connects to one of the central themes, The Need to Confess Secrets, as well as the title. After collecting evidence from the text, the class might hold a group discussion; instead, if time allows, the class might review styles and rules for formal debate, then construct arguments, brainstorm rebuttals, and debate the topic. Alternatively, the class might pose the question in a Socratic seminar; students could review the use of qualifiers (e.g., mostly, somewhat, and hardly) and state the extent to which they believe Ellery should reveal the truth.