I Know What You Did Last Summer

The four teens—Barry, Helen, Ray, and Julie—can be thought of as two pairs of foils. Organize them into pairs and describe how their different characteristics set them apart and impair communication and trust.

Unlike in the film, no one except the child dies in the novel I Know What You Did Last Summer. How do Bud’s threats to the teens create terror without violence and gore? Strengthen your response with reference to the text.

How does trauma from the car accident reflect trauma from war in the novel? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Despite being under threat of death, Barry fears paralysis, and Ray later describes life without Julie as worse than death. Describe if the car accident forced the teens to confront death and make peace with it, or how it otherwise damaged their lives without physically, socially, or monetarily damaging them.

The original version of the book was set during the Vietnam War, and the updated version is set during the Second Gulf War. How would a version set today differ, and in what ways would it be the same?

Bud/Collie is a veteran of the Iraq War, while the other characters are beginning to move into adulthood through a variety of rituals. What does this difference indicate about the nature of childhood and adulthood?

Julie sends flowers to Daniel’s funeral, despite not attending or revealing the information that would give the family closure. What does this act say about the nature of grief, funerals, and violence?

What are the double standards for gender roles implied by the beliefs of Barry and Helen? Include textual evidence to support your answer.