The morning watch cover

The morning watch

by James Agee

***The Morning Watch explores the thoughts and feelings of 12-year-old Richard, a student at an unnamed Episcopal*** boarding school (based on Agee's schooling at St. Andrew's-Sewanee School in Sewanee, Tennessee), over the course of a few hours in the early morning of ***Good Friday in 1923***. ***Part I*** opens with Richard waking up to participate in the 4 AM shift of a nightlong prayer vigil in the school's chapel; ***Part II*** he goes to the chapel, prays, and decides to attend the 4:30 shift as well; ***Part III*** he leaves the chapel at 5 AM with two other boys, and they all run off to swim in the lake rather than go straight back to their dormitory, knowing ***they will be punished for this infraction.*** On their way to the lake, Richard discovers the intact shed skin of a locust, clinging to a tree; at the lake, the boys swim and then kill a snake; as they head back to school, Richard takes the locust shell with him.--**Wickipedia**

More by James Agee

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?