All American Boys

Throughout the novel, Rashad and Quinn struggle with the decision to speak up about police brutality or to stay silent. What parallels are evident in their struggles? How are the two characters juxtaposed throughout the novel, and to what effect? Consider the following questions in formulating your response:

• What internal and external forces encourage Quinn and Rashad to stay silent?
• How might Quinn’s situation have allowed him to react differently than Rashad?
• What were the turning points in Quinn’s and Rashad’s lives that led each of them to the protest? How do these turning points compare?
• How do the first-person voices of these characters compare in tone, mood, phrasing, and vocabulary? What is the overall impact of dual perspectives (and authors) on the narrative?

Teaching Suggestion: To prepare for this discussion, students might make two charts—one for Rashad and one for Quinn—with columns to address each character’s internal conflict and external conflict. As a class, in groups, or individually, students can utilize the chart to gather evidence before responding to the prompt.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who benefit from assistance with whole-text tasks might focus their comparative analysis on one of the bulleted topics, such as the turning points in Quinn’s and Rashad’s lives. For students who struggle with motor skills, it may be helpful to provide a pre-printed chart or to allow them to type.