Do you think Ove died a natural death or took his own life in the end? Provide references from the text to support your conclusion. Why do you think the author left this open to interpretation?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might benefit by creating two columns and listing evidence suggesting Ove took his life on one side, and evidence suggesting that he didn't on the other. They can then consider which evidence seems more compelling.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from a creative response might choose to answer this question by writing their own fictional description of Ove's death, making it clear how he died and what he was thinking just before it happened. Advanced students might attempt to emulate the author's writing style.