The Railway Children

The children’s lives abruptly shift as their father leaves, their mother is preoccupied, and they move to the country. How would you judge the mother’s decision not to tell the children what is going on with their father?

• What did happen to Father?
• Before the author reveals what has happened to Father, what clues emerge?
• How do the children handle the shifts?
• Which child does Mother tell first and why?
• What might have been different had Mother told the children the entire truth right away?
• Did Mother lie?

Teaching Suggestion: Before introducing this discussion prompt, students could journal and discuss the extent to which they agree or disagree with this statement: Honesty is always the best policy. They could then apply their reasoning to this situation in the novel. The discussion can extend to include an analysis of how the question applies to the themes of The Nature of Justice or The Edwardian Ideals of Motherhood and Femininity. To give even the most reluctant speakers a voice, one strategy is a wrap-around at the end of the discussion. Each student considers their answer to the last question here: Did Mother lie? Then, wrapping around the class in a predetermined order, each student shares a 1-word answer: yes, no, or a qualifier like “somewhat” or “mostly.