Study Question for DAWN

Questions for classroom discussion:

1) Gad states that the Jews were the only ones to listen to the commandment: Thou shalt not kill. He states that they "must be like everybody else?.and kill those who made us killers." How do Elisha and the other Jews reconcile their violence with their faith?
2) Elisha states that he had killed others before under different circumstances, under the cover of darkness. Why is the question of executing John Dawson a problem for him?
3) What do you make of the repetition of "Don?t torture yourself." by Elisha?s peers?
4) What is learned by reading all the stories of how they each escaped death? How might this change their views on death and killing?
5) Ilana calls Elisha a "Poor boy". This reminds him of Catherine. What does his memory of Catherine have to do with Ilana?
6) What do the reader and Elisha learn from the visit from his dead family?
7) Why is he afraid that his family will judge him? How is he judging himself? Explain.