Allure of Black

Discussion Guide

Participants:

• Narrator (young son)
• Mother

Event:

   Feelings of a boy who has helped his mother construct a girl's Halloween costume yet does not get the opportunity to wear it for Halloween.

Discussion:

• The mother seems to have no difficulty with using the boy as a stand-in for his sister while making the costume but does not think it is appropiate for him to have a chance to wear it at Halloween. Why might she think this?
• How do you think you would feel if you were the son after being told that it is a girl's costume?
• How do you think the loss of the costume might affect him?
• Was anyone harmed by this event?
• If yes, who?
• If no, why not?