English: The Landlady

Reread the paragraph in the second column on page 74 that begins, "Please come in." What words or phrases does the author use to describe what happens next and how Billy feels about the situation? Should he have been suspicious at this point in the story? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text in your response.

""Billy found himself automatically starting forward. The compulsion or, more accurately, the desire to follow after her into that house was extraordinarily strong." This strong desire to follow her into "that" house should have alerted him that something might not be quite right. Especially since moments before the sign compelled him to stay. It was also strange that she answered the door before he even took his finger off of the bell, even though he heard the bell ringing far away in a back room. The landlady says the room is "all ready" for him even though he is just "wondering" about a room."

The point at which the reader can predict what will happen to Billy is when the landlady says...?

"Mulholland and Temple haven't left the bed and breakfast"

Reread the paragraph on page 73, that begins, "Suddenly, in a downstairs window..." and continue rereading through the next few paragraphs. What words and phrases does the author use to describe the Bed and Breakfast? What inference does Billy make about the Bed and Breakfast based on these observations?

"beautiful, wonderful chrysanthemums," "bright burning fire in the hearth," "pretty little dachshund curled up," "pleasant furniture," "plump armchairs," "animals were usually a good sign in a place like this" "All in all, it looked to him as though it would be a pretty decent house to stay in. Certainly it would be more comfortable than The Bell and Dragon."

At first Billy thinks the landlady is...?

-off her rocker -old and feeble

When Billy is in the living room, what first alerts the reader that something may be wrong?

Billy signs the guest book and sees two names he recognizes, maybe from newspaper headlines. He is almost positive he has heard of them before. There is no evidence in the house of other occupants. The reader wonders, where they are and where they have gone.

How does the author's use of irony when describing the landlady make the reader question her?

He uses phrases such as terribly nice, the old girl is slightly dotty, inclined to be a teeny weeny tiny bit particular, slightly of her rocker.

Which words in paragraph 2, page 74, suggest that Billy should be on the alert?

Queer, peculiar, black eye, compelling and forcing are words used to alert Billy.

As Billy is almost remembering the connection between the two boys, what effect did the interruptions from the landlady have on the story?

She interrupts him which builds suspense and distracts him.

The narrator emphasises the speed at which the Landlady answers the door. What might this foreshadow about the landlady, about Billy, and about how the two might interact later in the story?

She is up to something. Is she magical or sinister? She could not have known Billy was coming. Billy senses something strange so she makes it so he can never think too much by talking too much and being quick.

What other evidence from the story suggests a possible, fatal demise for Billy?

Some possible examples would be the "stuffed" animals in the living room, the suspicious smell of the tea the landlady served, etc.

When Billy arrives in the city of Bath, the first thing he needs to do is find lodgings. Why is he debating between staying at pub instead of a boardinghouse?

The Pub would be more fun for him as a young man than the boarding house. At the pub there would be beer and darts in the evenings, lots of people to talk to, and it would probably be a good bit cheaper. But, this boardinghouse however, had pleasant furniture, and animals which were usually a good sign and he thought it would be a pretty decent house to stay in.

On page 74, the author says that Billy turns to go, "and now a queer thing happened to him." Summarize what happens in this scene. How does the author describe the sign and Billy's reaction?

The author says that "...his eye was caught and held in the most peculiar manner by the small notice. BED AND BREAKFAST in capital letters was repeated four times." "Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay...and not to walk away from the house..." The author includes this information to inform the reader that Billy was compelled to choose this location; he seemed to have little control. The reader understands that Billy's original thoughts may be warranted and to hint at possible strangeness and outcomes of the story.

On page 75, in paragraph 10, why does the author include the line, "There were no other hats or coats in the hall. There were no umbrellas, no walking sticks-nothing."?

The author supplies the reader with information to hint at why there are no other guests.

On page 73, the author uses the words: brisk, briskly, and briskness in the first full paragraph. Billy states that, "briskness is a common characteristic of all successful businessmen." What does the author mean by this word and what is the significance of being "brisk" in the story?

The author uses brisk in some form at least four times in this paragraph to signify the quick and no-nonsense world of business that an ambitious kid would notice. Also the landlady is very brisk when she opens the door and when she is talking to him...it's like she doesn't want to give him any time to think.

"What can the reader infer, using evidence from the text, about the two boys that are missing? What does this information lead the reader to believe concerning Billy's possible fate?"

The landlady describes the boys in detail: "trifle shorter than you, teeth weren't as white, wasn't a blemish on his body, skin was like a baby's." At this point in the story we have no evidence that Billy suspects his fate, but the reader may be wondering if Billy might be stuffed when she says that, "...I stuff all my little pets myself when they pass away. Will you have another cup of tea?" The landlady also "looked up at him out of the corner of her eyes and gave him another gentle little smile" when she said her only other guests were Billy.

When Billy arrives in Bath, he...??

does not have a place to stay