1. The Go-Between
Chapter Three and Four

2. Chapter Two: The heat as a metaphor
How has Hartley already introduced the heat as a metaphor?
How is the metaphor developed in this chapter?
What do you think it represents?

3. His round face looks on the world… with a complacent acceptance of the situation; my rather long one is self-conscious and seems aware of the strain of adaptability.
In what ways does Hartley identify Leo as an outsider at this point in the novel?
What is the “mild persecution” that Leo refers to? Are the adults cruel or trying to “draw him out” as the adult narrator suspects?
Leo does not have the “right” clothes because his mother cannot afford to buy them. What might the unsuitable clothes he has brought with him be symbolic of? Don’t forget to bring in context here.
What does Marian realise about the “forgotten” clothes?
Why might it be significant that Leo does not immediately realise what Marian means when she says the clothes are a “myth”?

4. Chapter Four: the shopping trip
Read page 44. What indication is there that the shopping trip was a pretext for something else?
Look at page 45. What evidence is there that Leo is already being exploited by Marian?
What secret (see end of Chapter 3) do Leo and Marian already share?
Re read page 46. In what way has the shopping trip altered Leo’s relationship with Marian?

5. Comparison The headmaster Hector Irwin
The History Boys is also about the exploitation of the young by the old. In what ways do the following characters exploit the boys:
The headmaster
Hector
Irwin

6. The introduction of Ted Burgess
How does Hartley introduce Ted as a potential disruption to the world of Brandham Hall from the very moment he appears on the page?
Ted is a powerful symbol of masculinity and male sexuality in the novel. How is this made clear in the description of him on page 52?

7. The end of the chapter
What is interesting about the interaction between Leo and Marian at the end of Chapter Four?
In what ways is the description suggestive of the development of Leo’s feelings for Marian?

8. Homework: essay
How does Hartley present Leo Colston in Chapters 1 – 4 of The Go- Between.
You might like to think about:
Leo as an outsider at Brandham Hall
Leo as an adolescent
Leo’s relationship with Marian
Any other ideas