Questions for Discussion

The Razor Slasher

1. Why was the courtroom full for the trial of Pierce Power? Would you have attended such a trial?
   
   
2. Even before the slashing, the government thought of Pierce Power as a dangerous man. Why?

The Naked the Hungry and the Homeless

1. This chapter discusses some telegrams sent to the Newfoundland government in the 1930s. Why were the telegrams sent? What conditions did they describe?
   
   
2. How did the different governments of the 1930s respond to the poverty and hardship experienced by many Newfoundlanders?
   
   
3. The 1990s have also been a time of high unemployment and recession. Compare government help for the poor and unemployed in the 1930s with government programs in the 1990s. How did these policies affect people's lives?

The Police Files

1. Police watched members of the Unemployed Committee. What did Detective Mahoney and Constable Bennett think of the first meeting of that group?
   
   
2. What did the Unemployed Committee want from government? What do you think of their demands?
   
   
3. Describe how the police tried to find out about members of the Unemployed Committee. How do you think Pierce Power felt about being watched? Do you think following the Unemployed Committee members was a good idea? Why do you think the government wanted Pierce Power and his friends to be watched?