Consider how this story would be read differently if it were set in modern times. Would the ethical dilemma be different? Would you view the characters and their actions differently?

Do you think Mrs. Foster’s act of omission is morally justified? Why or why not? What do you think the story’s narrator thinks? What about Dahl?

Consider how the story creates expectations and surprises. What did you expect to happen, and were you surprised? How did the story create this effect?