Reading Log Questions

Question #1: Discuss Dex’s mother’ reaction to learning that perhaps Dex attended the party.  Who does she blame?  What does her response reveal about her character?

Upon learning about the incident involving Will and Cully and the rest of the party at the Lawbournes, Dex's mom instantly becomes infuriated. However, it is revealed that she wholeheartedly trusts Dex, therefore does not even question him as to whether or not he was at the party. Instead, she blames the rest of the boys who attended the party and the Lawbournes. 

"there were all these boys there just sitting drinking downstairs or swimming. why didn't they do anything to stop it? it just kills me that boys here would do that, boys I've had in my house."

Dex's mom's response to hearing what had happened to Willa shows that she is perhaps one of the only characters in the novel who pities Willa and does consider her the victim. This shows that Dex's mom has a certain kind of respect and compassion for women and girls that is certainly not found often in Friendswood.

Question #2:Dex begins to befriend Willa.  Is his friendship genuine?  Why does he befriend Willa?  Does he blame himself for what happens to her?

Dex's sudden interest in befriending Willa, aside from the fact that he has had a crush on her, a few days after her being raped makes it seem as though Dex is basing this new friendship off of the guilt he is living with for not doing anything to stop Cully's actions against Willa. Dex's new friendship with Willa, while certainly not in-genuine, is most likely only beginning as a result of the embarrassment and shame being outwardly brought onto Willa and Dex's inner conflict with his conscience. Dex is not a bad person, and knows that his mother wholeheartedly trusts Dex enough so that she doesn't even question whether or not Dex was at the party where Willa was raped.

"Dex turned back to the screen, where pixilated monsters ran amok, blinking behind and above Egyptian pyramids. He turned it off. He thought his mother might ask him about where he'd been that day, but she trusted him too much, and that was a wrench in his heart."

Dex knows that his mother would be utterly devastated if she found out that Dex in fact was at the party and refused to do anything to stop the incident, making him just as guilty as those boys that his mother fully detests. Therefore, Dex is most likely basing his friendship with Willa on his inner guilt and the fear of what his mother would think of him if she knew the truth.

Question #3:How does Hal use blame to protect Cully and himself?  What is Hal trying to protect himself from?

Hal, for as long as he can remember, has seen his beloved son Cully as the star football player/prodigy that Hal himself once was. In other words, Cully is Hal's "pride and joy". That being said, the fact that Hal sees Cully as an almost God-like figure who is so close to the way Hal was when he was Cully's age is concerning as well. For example; Hal himself was a star football player, therefore most likely just as popular as his son is now. However, Hal was also an avid alcoholic unable to gain control of his bad habits before they sent him and his life in a downward spiral. When Hal hears Cully confess that he indeed did rape Willa (yet during the confession the term "rape" was used very lightly) he is most likely cringing on the inside. However, since Cully is Hal's pride and joy Hal will do and does do everything in his power to protect Cully's "stellar" reputation and protect himself too from losing his perfect son.

"he knew that stupid incident at the Lawbournes' had only happened because Cully was drunk, because his pals were there, because it took disciplined practice to learn to restrain a lust. Thank God Principal Johnson didn't know the whole story--it would have been the end of the season."

Hal referring to Willa's rape as a "stupid incident" in itself is alarming. However, similar to the Stanford rape case, Hal and the father of Brock both blame their son's actions as a result of being drunk and being tempted by their friends. Hal's lack of respect for women in general and his sole idolization of his son subconsciously force him to blame anything and everything other than Cully in order to protect both Cully's image and the image of what Cully is to Hal.