The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Guess the Flavia Quote”

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of Flavia’s narrative voice by creating a game where their peers try to distinguish genuine Flavia quotes from student-generated ones.

Mystery writers like Bradley succeed when they can misdirect their readers. In this activity, you will demonstrate your ability to use Flavia’s narrative voice to misdirect a group of your peers. Will they be good enough detectives to defeat you, or will you get away with your deception?

Analyze Flavia’s Narrative Voice

• How do Flavia’s personality and perspective show in the way she narrates the story?
• How would you describe her typical tone?
• When does she tend to use humor, and how would you describe her sense of humor?
• How would you characterize Flavia’s diction? How formal or informal is her language? Does she tend to use concrete or abstract language? Are her word choices heavily connotative, or are they more objective?
• What sentence lengths and constructions are typical of Flavia’s narrative?
• Does Flavia have any style quirks—words or phrases she tends to rely on, patterns of repetition, preferences for imagery or figurative language, etc.?

Choose Five Distractor Quotes

• Search the text for five quotes from Flavia’s narrative—not her speaking aloud to another character, but her “speaking” to the reader as she tells the story.
• The quotes you choose should each be roughly 15-25 words long and should be good examples of Flavia’s typical voice.

Create Two Original Flavia “Quotes”

• Write two “quotes” of your own in Flavia’s voice on subject matter that makes sense in the context of the novel.
• Do not simply substitute a few words or rearrange the order of an actual quote from the novel. Your false quotes should be entirely original work.

Present Your Challenge

• Number your quotes 1-7, and then read each of your quotes aloud to your small group.
• Your group members will write down the numbers of the quotes they believe are your original work. Remember that your goal is to fool as many people as possible!

Teaching Suggestion: If your students have little experience analyzing narrative voice, you may wish to work on the “Analyze Flavia’s Narrative Voice” section as a whole class before asking students to complete the remainder of the activity independently. The following resources may be helpful to students as they consider how to mimic Flavia’s voice:

• This 5-minute video on syntax from Oregon State University
• This 7-minute video on tone from Oregon State University
• This 7-minute video on analyzing diction

Differentiation Suggestion: Literal thinkers and those averse to written expression may have difficulty writing original quotes in Flavia’s voice. It may be helpful for these students first to write quotes in their voices and then gradually “translate” these into Flavia’s voice, focusing on one aspect of voice at a time through several revisions. Students with less developed theories of mind may have trouble imagining Flavia’s perspective; you may wish to prepare several essential quotes written from Flavia’s perspective but in a neutral voice and allow these students to choose among these and then simply rewrite using Flavia’s voice.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. During their conversation at the jail, Flavia learns more about her father than she has learned in eleven years of living with him.

• How does the de Luce family’s distaste for showing vulnerability impact their relationships with one another? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three examples that support your interpretation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this helps to develop the novel’s thematic interest in Social Class and Interpersonal Relationships.

2. The book’s title comes from a line quoted by Inspector Hewitt.

• Within the novel, what is the larger symbolic meaning of the idea this line expresses? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three examples that support your interpretation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this symbolism supports the novel’s thematic interest in Grief’s Effect on Families.

3. Misdirection is an important aspect of structuring a mystery novel. Choose one example of how Bradley misdirects the reader to use as the basis for your response.

• What is effective about this example of misdirection? (topic sentence)
• Explain how Bradley creates the misdirection.
• Explain what purpose this misdirection serves.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this misdirection contributes to the overall effectiveness of the mystery’s structure.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Write an essay in which you analyze the contributions Dogger’s character makes to the characterization of Flavia and Colonel de Luce and the development of the novel’s themes—particularly themes of Loyalty, How the Past Affects the Present, and Social Class and Interpersonal Relationships. Keep the following questions in mind as you write: What is the purpose of including the character of Dogger in this novel? How is he similar to Colonel de Luce, and how is he different in important ways? What do his actions demonstrate about love, friendship, and loyalty? What lessons might the de Luces learn from his willingness to show vulnerability? What does Flavia’s relationship with Dogger reveal about both Dogger and Flavia? How does Dogger provide valuable mentorship and guidance to Flavia? Support your claims with evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite any quoted material.

2. Flavia’s voice and personality significantly contribute to the novel’s humor. What, specifically, is funny about Flavia? Would the qualities that make her amusing strike the reader the same way if she were 40 years old? How does juxtaposing her childlike qualities with her more advanced abilities create humor? How does her age create sympathy, especially given the danger she is in? Write an essay analyzing the relationship between the humorous effect of Flavia’s personality and her status as a precocious child detective. Support your claims with evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite any quoted material.

3. Flavia’s interest in chemistry is mainly focused on poisons. What about poisons seems to interest her so much? How does she think about poisons in both ways that are typical of most people and characteristic of her as an individual? What larger ideas about people and life might poisons represent? Write an essay about the symbolic value of poison in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Show how this symbolism supports characterization and meaning in the novel. Support your claims with evidence drawn from throughout the text, making sure to cite any quoted material.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which is the most accurate characterization of Flavia’s feelings about her sisters?

A) She finds them dull and looks down on their lack of intelligence.

B) She constantly tries to win them over with flattery and small favors.

C) She is frightened of their bullying and avoids them as much as possible.

D) She admires them but hides it because she thinks they dislike her.

2. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of Colonel de Luce’s attitude toward his daughters?

A) He wants to be closer to them, but his eccentricities prevent him from understanding how to relate to them.

B) He views children as a woman’s responsibility and is uninterested in the work involved with raising children.

C) His background and grief over Harriet prevent him from emotionally connecting with his children.

D) His preoccupation with his money troubles causes him to react angrily to them despite his best intentions.

3. Which character functions as a substitute father figure for Flavia?

A) Alfred

B) Tarquin

C) Hewitt

D) Dogger

4. What aspect of the loss of Harriet most bothers Flavia?

A) The loss of the female role model Harriet might have provided

B) The loss of the love and affection Harriet might have given her

C) The loss of a fellow chemist and scientist to guide her

D) The loss of an adult more able to manage the Colonel’s moods

5. Which is the most accurate characterization of Flavia as a narrator?

A) Melancholy, facetious, pedantic, florid, tactful

B) Morbid, witty, intelligent, creative, candid

C) Ghoulish, jocular, shrewd, flamboyant, blunt

D) Grim, dry, brilliant, innovative, diplomatic

6. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of what chemistry represents to Flavia?

A) It gives Flavia a sense of control because it obeys clear principles and creates meaningful effects in the world.

B) It was one of her father’s hobbies, and pursuing chemistry makes Flavia feel closer to her father.

C) It must be done in a specialized setting, so it offers Flavia an excuse to be absent from family activities.

D) It is a complex field that confuses others and demonstrates Flavia’s intellectual superiority.

7. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of the symbolic similarity between Buckshaw and the de Luce family’s attendance at St. Tancred’s?

A) They both demonstrate the family’s commitment to Bishop’s Lacey.

B) They both show how unaware Colonel de Luce is of his daughters’ needs.

C) They both represent the fading away of the family’s aristocratic past.

D) They both convey how sheltered Flavia is from the concerns of everyday people.

8. Which accurately states one way Flavia changes during the novel?

A) She develops more courage and confidence in her own opinions.

B) She begins to show more respect for people outside her social class.

C) She learns to appreciate how much her sisters do for her more fully.

D) She becomes more aware of the consequences of her actions.

9. What is the implied reason for Dogger’s “episodes”?

A) A neurological condition, likely epilepsy

B) Trauma from his service in the war

C) His use of drugs when he was younger

D) Stress over his responsibilities to the de Luce family

10. Which is the most accurate characterization of Inspector Hewitt’s attitude toward Flavia?

A) He is bemused by her and somewhat irritated at her interference, but he respects her abilities.

B) He sees her as an innocent and misguided child and is terrified that she keeps putting herself in danger.

C) He is relieved to have an insider helping him with his investigations at Buckshaw and in Bishop’s Lacey.

D) He thinks she is ridiculous and that anything she thinks she has found out can be safely ignored.

11. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of what the Rolls Royce symbolizes?

A) Flavia’s impulsive inability to follow her father’s rules

B) The Colonel’s desire to protect his daughters from harm

C) Harriet’s spirit of adventure and defiance of gender norms

D) The material and emotional comfort Harriet provided the family

12. What does Flavia frequently figuratively compare Gladys to?

A) Harriet’s Rolls Royce

B) A horse

C) A magic carpet

D) A locomotive engine

13. To whom is it most reasonable to assume the book’s title refers?

A) Flavia

B) Colonel de Luce

C) Harriet

D) Mrs. Mullet

14. Which theme is supported by details like Flavia’s childhood game of pretending to be a mountain climber, the alone time she seeks in the Rolls Royce, and the feeling she experiences when she smells the perfume in the dressing room?

A) The costs and benefits of being a child prodigy

B) The shaping effect of class on family dynamics

C) The lingering impact of grief within a family

D) The importance of demonstrating loyalty

15. Which best represents the frustration inherent in Flavia’s position as a bright and ambitious female child protagonist in mid-century England?

A) Locked doors

B) Gladys

C) The jack snipe

D) Her chemistry lab

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. In what ways is Flavia like her mother, and in what ways is she like her father?

2. How does the solution to the mystery demonstrate the impact of the past on the present?