Study questions

Here you can find some study questions which can help you get started with your analysis and interpretation of “The World Ending in Fire” by Jan Carson.

Structure

• Is the plot structure chronological or non-chronological? What is the effect of this?
• In what way does the beginning of the story portray adults in a negative light?
• Is the ending open or closed?

Characters and relationships

• Why did Mrs Agnew sit in a paddling pool for three years?
• How did Mrs Agnew’s behavior affect Lyndsey?
• How did the narrator feel about Lyndsey back then?
• How did the narrator feel about Lyndsey’s mother – and how does the narrator describe her to us?
• How did the other adults in the story react to Mrs Agnew’s mental breakdown and her sitting in the pool?
• How does the now adult narrator feel about e