For Teachers

The Knife of Never Letting Go: In The Classroom 

“I never ended up reading too good. Don’t matter. Ain’t nobody in Prentisstown ever gonna write a book.” –Todd

Why Teach This Book?

Resistance to Violence

Todd is brought up in a society where, in order to become a man, every boy must commit an act of violence. With the help of Viola and Manchee, Todd is able to protect his innocence and resist assimilating into the violent society. Today’s students are surrounded by a media filled with violence, so it is important for students to see characters who rise above that violence in order to stand up for what is right.

The one instance in which Todd succumbs to a violent act, it is out of self-defense, and immediately after the act he shows immense regret. It is important that students see and feel the consequences of violence on a person’s conscience. Because violence is so prevalent in today’s society, it is easy for students to overlook and not understand the emotional trauma experienced when someone commits a violent act. By reading and experiencing Todd’s regret over his act of violence, students will be able to think more critically about the possible long-term consequences of their actions.

Strength in Unity

Todd would not have survived and retained his innocence if he had not had Viola and Manchee by his side. This is an important theme for students, because at some point or another every adolescent feels like an outsider. Everyone feels like the world is against them, and hopefully seeing the fierce friendship between Todd and Viola will encourage students to stand up for each other.

Bravery in Cowardice

Many times in this novel, Todd either calls himself a coward, or is called a coward by the men of Prentisstown. Todd is considered a coward because he is afraid of the men of Prentisstown, and he refuses to do violence in order to become a man. However, over the course of this novel, the reader sees that Todd isn’t a coward at all, and his resistance against violence and his loyal protection over Viola actually shows his bravery. Similar to Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War, this novel works to redefine bravery and cowardice, ultimately suggesting that to be brave means to stick up for what is right (which is what Todd and Viola do) and it is cowardly to follow the crowd simply because that is what everyone else is doing. It is important for students to have this redefinition of bravery and cowardice, because there are some students who might be bullied or picked on for being so-called “cowards,” and this book will make students think about these categories differently.

Literacy

One major theme in this novel is the importance of literacy. Todd grew up in a town where books had been burned, and he did not have the opportunity to formally learn how to read and write. Though he refuses to admit it, Todd feels insecure about his illiteracy. As an English teacher, this text is an excellent tool to remind students how important literacy is, which will hopefully encourage students to read more.

It’s Enjoyable!

Most importantly, this is an enjoyable, easy to read and relatable book. The book is fast-paced and has a truly original storyline that will excite and engage students. Many times students dislike the books they are forced to read in English classes, but this is a book that students will truly enjoy. Because students enjoy this book, it will be easier for them to retain and relate to the important concepts presented in this book, as discussed above.

Why Might This Book Be Challenged?

Violence

One of the major challenges in this book is the amount of violence. This is an action-packed novel, and there are several fight scenes with vivid and gory descriptions of violence and mutilation. A parent who picks up this book and reads these violent scenes might take them out of context and assume this is a book that supports violence, which is not the case. While the scenes of violence are quite graphic, it is not something students as young as thirteen won’t be able to handle, as they can encounter similar graphic images while just flipping the channels on TV.

Language

Another issue you might encounter with teaching this text is the language. Several times Todd alludes to using the F-word, but he (almost) always censors himself. An example of this is seen on page 6, when Todd says, “‘You can eff off, too,’ I say, except I don’t say ‘eff,’ I say what ‘eff’ stands for.” Even though Todd censors himself, the reader knows what Todd means. To students, Todd’s censorship is a somewhat humorous, but there are many parents who might feel it is inappropriate for this language to appear in books assigned by English classes. However, the language presented in this book is not something students won’t be able to handle, as this is language they hear every day, even in the hallways of their own schools.

Illiteracy

Todd is illiterate (a fact he is embarrassed of), and because of his illiteracy, during his narration he frequently misspells words, like “thru” instead of “through” or “direkshuns” instead of “directions.” A parent who sees these illiterate spellings in this book might worry that students may begin to learn the wrong spellings for certain words. On another note, parents might also think that a book with illiterate phrases will make students think it is cool to be illiterate, and it will encourage students to be illiterate as well.

Negative Portrayal of Religion

A major antagonist in this novel, Aaron, is the head religion figure of Prentisstown, and Aaron is depicted as a violent and crazy psychopath. Parents might be concerned that this book portrays religion in a negative light, and will influence students to distrust religious figures. However, as the book progresses, the readers will learn that it is not the religion that is corrupt, but rather Aaron who is corrupt.


Lesson Plan for Use in Classroom

Subject: English Literature

Grade: 9-10 (can be modified to fit grades 8-12)

Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Introduction Activity 

Get four or five pieces of butcher paper and label each one with a major theme discussed in the novel (for example: Innocence, Rites of Passage, Protection, Lies, Assimilation, Cowardice, etc.). Have the students list a number of adjectives they associate with these themes (for example: students might use ‘scared’ or ‘yellow’ to describe cowardice), and tape these lists on the wall. Every day of discussion, students can add more adjectives to the lists, as well as page numbers to where these themes are discussed in the novel.

This is a great opening activity because it exposes students to the themes in the book, and makes them think about where these themes appear. These lists are also a great resource for students as they prepare for any in-class essays or tests on this book.

Reading Response Journal

While reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, students are required to write a short reflection (one page hand-written) for each part in the book. Students can write about whatever interests them most about each part of the book, and should include quotes or page numbers for reference. The reflections will be collected on the day the assigned reading is due to ensure students are keeping up with the reading schedule and thinking about the text.

Schedule

Day One

·         Part One completed

·         Reading Response Journal for part one due

·         Discussion on dystopian setting and Todd’s place in Prentisstown

Day Two

·         Part Two completed

·         Reading Response Journal for part two due

·         Discussion on teamwork and unity

Day Three

·         Part Three completed

·         Reading Response Journal for part three due

·         Discussion on a reality based on lies and the place of women in this society

Day Four

·         Part Four completed

·         Reading Response Journal for part four due

·         Discussion on cowardice and loss of innocence

Day Five

·         Part Five completed

·         Reading Response Journal for part five due

·         Continued discussion on loss of innocence and death

Day Six

·         Part Six completed

·         Reading Response Journal for part six due

·         Discussion on protection, innocence and violence

Discussion Questions

After everyone has finished reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, have students break into groups of four. Each group will be given one discussion question. Students will have fifteen minutes to answer their question and find supporting evidence. Each group will then do an informal presentation (3-5 minutes) to share their answers with the class. Continue class discussion onto next day if needed.

Four of the following questions will appear on the final in-class essay exam and students must write on two. So pay attention and take good notes!

1.      Why is it so important to Viola that she protect Todd and keep him from doing what Aaron wants and committing the violent act that will make him become a man?

2.      Todd is called a coward, and he considers himself to be a coward. Do you think Todd is a coward? Why or why not?

3.      What did Todd admire about Ben’s knife? Did Todd’s opinion of the knife and ideas of what it stands for change throughout the novel?

4.      Why did the Mayor of Prentisstown burn all the books and forbid anyone to learn to read? What affect did this have on Todd, especially after he met Viola?

5.      Throughout the course of the novel, Aaron is slowly and violently dismembered. What is the significance of this? And how does this relate to Aaron’s death at the end?

6.      Todd’s world is filled with Noise, where all men’s thoughts can be heard, but women’s are shielded. How does this affect the hierarchy of power in New World?

7.      Who is the boy Todd is talking to in chapter 30, A Boy Called Todd? What do they talk about? What does Todd learn about himself? What do you think the boy means when he says, “You can’t never leave me behind”?

8.      Look at examples of animal Noise. How does bird Noise differ from dog Noise and squirrel Noise? What about Spackle Noise (pg. 272)? What do the different styles of Noise tell the reader about the “speaker”?

9.      Why did Ben give Todd Manchee for his birthday instead of the knife? How does Todd’s relationship with Manchee change over the course of the novel? Why is it important that their relationship changed?

Creative Writing Lesson

Students can choose one of the following creative writing activities to be completed by a set date.

1)      Patrick Ness said that one of his motivations for writing this novel was that he wanted to write a story where a dog realistically talked about what a dog would actually talk about. Imagine you live in a world filled with Noise, and pick an animal, any animal (it can be your dog, your sister’s gerbil, an orangutan at the zoo, etc.). Now imagine you were forced to go on a journey with that animal. What would its Noise be like? Write a short story, minimum of 3 pages, double spaced.

2)      Patrick Ness has a unique, fast-paced writing style when describing fight scenes. Look at the final scene between Todd and Aaron (pgs. 454-463) as an example. Now write an action scene where you have to describe multiple actions and feelings going on at the same time. Minimum of 3 pages, double spaced.

Other Book Pairings

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

            For similar dystopian setting

            For similar themes regarding importance of literacy

Feed by M.T. Anderson

            For similar dystopian settings

            For similar themes regarding constant access to people’s thoughts

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

            For similar themes regarding bravery in standing up for what you believe

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

            For similar themes regarding distrust of authority and themes of “Otherness” (the Spackle)

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

            For similar themes regarding feeling like an outsider and themes of protecting innocence

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

            For similar dystopian setting

            For similar themes of resisting authority and fighting for what is right