Do you feel this is symbolic of a change in Beauregard as a person?ġ2. By the end of the novel, Beauregard’s prized Duster has been nearly demolished. How do you feel his fate will affect Beauregard going forward after the events of Blacktop Wasteland?ġ1. Kelvin is Beauregard’s cousin and his best friend. What are some of the similarities and differences between Beauregard and Ronnie? Does it seem like they are two halves of the same coin or complete opposites?ġ0. Do you think Beauregard underestimated Ronnie, or did he mistakenly trust him? And what do you think is the difference in respect to Beauregard’s relationship with Ronnie?ĩ. Beauregard often speaks or thinks about people underestimating him, but one of his co-conspirators, Ronnie Sessions, is able to get the better of him, if only momentarily. Do you think by the end of the novel Beauregard’s feelings for his father have solidified one way or the other? If so, how do you think he feels about him?Ĩ.

At one point his mother even tells him he looks up to a ghost. Beauregard often thinks of his father in terms that seem both heroic and critical.

In your life experiences, have you known someone of great intelligence who makes unfortunate decisions about their life? How much do you think Beauregard’s race and where he lives has to do with his choices or lack thereof?ħ. Yet we see him seemingly drawn inexorably to illegal activities. He is proficient in mathematics and mechanical engineering and strategy. At multiple points in the narrative Beauregard exhibits a high degree of intelligence. Is this something that is universal? Do you believe we all possess this kind of duality?Ħ. At times he sees himself as Beauregard, loving father and husband, and at other times he sees himself as 'Bug,' outlaw getaway driver. Beauregard makes several references to being two individuals. Do you feel that a propensity for violence can be inherited? If so, can that cycle be broken?ĥ. 'Money can’t fix it and love can’t tame it,' as Beauregard says. The novel makes several references to violence and its cyclical nature. Do you feel that the Duster symbolizes Beauregard’s relationship with his father, and if so, how?Ĥ. Throughout the novel we are told about Beauregard’s love for his father’s ’71 Plymouth Duster.

Does this indicate to you that Beauregard is a man of honor and integrity in a lawless world or that he is a character driven by rage and slights both perceived and implied?ģ. By the end of the chapter he has coerced an apology from the person that accused him. In the first chapter Beauregard is accused of cheating during a drag race. Do you feel this set the tone for the entire book? At the end of the novel, did you feel that Beauregard was a good father?Ģ. 'A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he was meant to be.' -Frank A.

Blacktop wasteland