FCE Literature

ERNESTOS SABATOS THE TUNNEL

DISCUSSION WORKSHEET

Pre reading
1. Imagine a tunnel. What kind of images come to your mind when you think of a tunnel?
2. Read the first paragraph: What kind of story do you think it is?
3. What kind of personality do you think Castel has?
4. Why do you think the story is called The tunnel?
Chapters I to VI
1. What does Castel think about groups? Do you agree?
2. Why do you think groups need a jargon? Do you have your own jargon in your group of
friends? Do you belong to any clan?
3. Who was doctor Prato? Why do you think Castel says I believed he was a friend when he
talks about him?
4. Why does he hate critics? Do you agree? Do you think they are necessary?
5. What does he refer to when he says the public blindness? Why does he think the public is
blind?
6. Why did the woman at the art gallery call Castels attention?
7. What are the different ways Castel imagines of approaching a woman? Do you think that is
a common think to think about when you want to meet someone?
Chapters VII and VIII
1. Where and how does Castel meet the woman?
2. Do you think it was reasonable for Castel to have waited for so long opposite the T
Company? What would you have done?
3. Why do you think he was so desperate for the woman?
4. Why do you think Maria said that the window was never out of her mind?
5. On page 54 Castel says Was I saying I was not a rational person? On the contrary my
mind is like a calculating machine do you think hes a rational person? Why?
6. What kind of childhood do you think Castel had? Why did he link Motherhood with
Loneliness?
Chapters IX to XI
1. Which is Castels view of life? (Page 58)
2. My hunger to communicate Do you think Castel is a good communicator? Why? (Page
60)
3. Would you continue seeing someone who tells you that he/she hurts everyone who comes
near her/him?
4. Imprecission has always irritated me? Does this happen to you? In which ways is Maria
being imprecise?
5. Why do you think Maria was so strange when they spoke on the phone?
6. What was Castels relationship with the people around him?
Chapters XII and XIII
1. On pages 70 and 71 Castel asks him lots of questions. Imagine you are a friend and castel
asks you to help him. Can you answer his questions in a way you think reasonable?
2. Who was Allende? Why do you think Castel calls him Seor Iribarne when he first meets
him?
3. What is your opinion about the whole situation?
4. What do you think is the actual relationship between Allende and Maria?
5. Do you think Allende suspects Castel is Marias lover?
6. Who was Hunter?
7. Whats your opinion about Maria?
8. On pages 78 Castel asks him lots of questions. Imagine you are a friend and Castel asks you
to help him. Can you answer his questions in a way you think reasonable?
9. Do you think there are others in Marias life?
10. What is castels theory for the Maids silence when he calls Maria Seorita Iribarne on the
phone? Do you agree with him?
11. Have you ever seen yourself in castels situation?
12. Would you continue going out with a girl/boy if you discovered he/she has a
boyfriend/girlfriend?
13. Do you think Maria was a deep spiritual girl? Why?
Chapters XIV to XVII
1. Describe castels dream
2. Why do you think Maria tells him she will bring him great harm?
3. What do you think she wants from Castel?
4. In which ways does Castel change when he has Maria near him?
5. (Page 96) Do you agree with Castels reaction? Why?

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

(Page 102) How old do you think she is?

Why do you think she doesnt want to tell him her age?
Do you really think that Maria was laughing behind his back?
Can you love and hate the same person at the same time?
(Page 110) What kind of relationship do they have?

Chapters XVIII to XXI

1. Who was Richard? What happened to him? Why?
2. Do you believe Maria when she says that she has burnt Richards letters?
3. Why did the idea of Richard torture Castel?
4. Do you think Maria married Allende because she loved him?
5. Maria and Juan Pablo have communication problems. Whose fault do you think it is?
6. What kind of relationship does Maria have with Allende? Why does she continue with him?
7. Do you think Castel is a kind of masochist? And what do you think about Maria?
8. (Chapter XX) Do you think Marias reaction was the correct one? Would you have reacted
the same way?
9. Have you ever been alone as a consequence of your own failings? What did you do?
10. What does Castel do when he is alone?
Chapters XXII to the end
1. Why do you think Castel had that strange dream? What does it mean?
2. What is the estancia to Maria? Do you have a similar place for yourself?
3. Would you have invited Castel to the estancia if you were Maria? Why?
4. Would you have accepted if you were Castel?
5. (Page 144) Who did Castel meet at the estancia? Can you describe them?
6. (Page 152) What do you think about Marias absence at the estancia?
7. (Page 160) Which two feelings does Castel talk about on this page?
8. (Page 164) Why do you think Maria didnt want to escape with Castel?
9. (Page 168) What was Marias plan as regards Castels visit? Why do you think she needed
to lie?
10. Castel talks about a new Maria. What is his opinion?
11. (Page 176) Do you think Hunter and Maria are lovers? Why?
12. (Page 190)Describe the situation at the post office. What do you think?
13. (Page 202) What were the similarities between Maria and the whore?
14. Who is Latirgue?
15. Why didnt Maria go to La Recoleta?
16. Who is Mapelli? Why is he important in the story?
17. (Page 220) Explain Castels theory of the tunnel. Why does he say he was in a dark and
solitary tunnel: his own tunnel?
18. How did the relationship progress till the point when Castel murdered Maria?
19. Why did he decide to kill her?
20. (Page 224) Explain how Castel murders Maria
21. Why do you think Maria was so passive when he attacked her?
22. How did he end up in prison?
23. Would you have killed Maria?
24. Why do you think Allende called Castel fool?
25. Why do you think Allende committed suicide?
After reading activities
1. Is The Tunnel a good title for the novel? Why?
2. Do you think Castel was in love?
3. Would Castel be able to fall in love again?
4. Would you recommend The Tunnel to a friend? Why?
5. Imagine you have just met Castel. Write, as part of a letter to a friend, a brief account of
your first impression of him.
6. Write one of the letters that Richard wrote to Maria and which she later burnt. I leave it to
you to imagine what kind of relationship they had, based on what you know about it from
the story. Maybe you can write the letter that explained why he committed suicide.
7. Lets imagine That Maria decided to have a better life by leaving Castel. Write the letter she
writes to him, explaining her reasons. These reasons must be very explicit: they are the
crazy things he does to her.
8. Imagine that Maria writes a letter to a friend explaining how she can love two men at the
same time. Expounds on the feelings she has for Castel, how her feelings for hr husband
changed. Lay out the whole letter not just a fragment.
9. Why does Maria put up with Castel? Is she in love? Is she crazy? Is she a masochist?
Choose your explanation and write a report explaining what you think. There must be
reasons to support your answer taken from the story. Include at least three arguments.
10. Write a reflective essay: on tunnels