Owls in the Family

What do the final lines of the story reveal about Billy’s character growth since the beginning of the novel? Identify at least two specific attributes that his experiences have allowed him to gain.

Billy overhears his mom saying “until a woman had tried to bake a cake, with two horned owls looking over her shoulders, she hadn’t really lived at all” (76). What does this statement reveal about her role in the family and her attitude toward Billy’s tendency to collect wild animals as pets and companions?

Billy mentions that it’s “[f]unny how some kids are” (32) when he describes Georgie Barnes. What do you think he finds unusual about Georgie? Use examples from the text to prove your point.

How does knowing that Wol was named after the owl in Winnie-the-Pooh affect the reader’s perception of Billy’s Wol as a full-fledged character?

Do you think Billy is a reliable narrator or one that over embellishes his stories? Identify and analyze at least three examples from the text to support your opinion.

Analyze Billy’s relationship to the natural world. In what ways is he a steward of the land, and in what ways does he become its nemesis? Provide at least three examples to support your discussion.

Given the many appearances of bullies in the story, what larger commentary might Farley Mowat be making on how best to deal with them? Focus on at least two key instances to support your answer.

Does Mowat create any sense of sympathy for the crows? Include close readings of at least three to four quotations to support your opinion.