Several characters in the novel have trouble accepting the loss of something or someone. Give three examples, and discuss the damaging consequences of their behavior. 

How does Ollie feel about scarecrows? Does the novel depict these objects as benign or evil? What do they symbolize in terms of the book’s themes?

The smiling man exists as a shadowy figure for most of the story. What is Ollie’s initial mental image of this creature? How does his actual physical appearance contrast with this assumption? In what way might this dichotomy represent a danger to Ollie and her friends?