THE WESTING GAME STUDY GUIDE / SUMMARY

PLOT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

The plot is built like any other traditional mystery: it gathers together the possible suspects and detectives, gives them a puzzle to solve, and provides a regular flow of new information that keeps readers guessing about the truth. However, as a cozy mystery it also focuses on characters for whom readers quickly build empathy. Thus, the story does not end when the mystery is solved; rather, the three last chapters give readers a chance to see how these characters turn out, to find out which ones lived happily and what else happened to them in the next twenty years.

With this in mind, there are three major kinds of plot threads in the novel, all dependent on the relationship between characters albeit in different ways.

The first major plot thread is the solving of the Westing game, as various pairs of heirs do their best to find the right answer and.........

AUTHOR'S STYLE

In the tradition of cozy mysteries, the style of The Westing Game is light in tone, jaunty, with a sharp authorial eye on the quirks of its characters. It creates a sense of suspense and thrill, but it does not make readers too anxious or threaten to upset them. Thus it is a highly accessible, reader-friendly style, and one well-suited for young readers who want a story with a fast-paced plot and memorable characterization.

Narrating in the third person voice, the author plays with the reader and is selective in what she reveals: for example, the placing of the bomb at Shin Hoo's Restaurant is described, but not the person doing so. This maintains the suspense that a mystery novel requires while also building anticipation for the reader. Thus, one of the more ........

The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; important quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, and imagery; a key facts summary; detailed analysis; a multiple-choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin-Free BookNotes Summary

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