Crispin: The Cross of Lead


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Scholastic Discussion Guide for Crispin: The Cross of Lead https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/crispin-cross-lead-discussion-guide/

Julie’s personal thoughts: Warning Contains Spoilers

This book was a delight to read. It brought up so many important questions that seem to be timeless. However, I must pick apart a few of the ideas:

  1. Devotion to God/religion are unlikely to grow in the complete absence of prosperity. I have a hard time believing Crispin would bother to be loyal to a practice that only showed him doom and gloom. Most people would bitterly renounce that faith.
  2. After Crispin tastes a bit of freedom, he immediately succumbs to Bear’s trickery. I don’t think Crispin would be so quick to cave in to this man’s attempt at logic. I believe Crispin would go along with the game just long enough to escape and never look back.
  3. Once in Great Wexley, Crispin suddenly makes an uncharacteristic move and explores the city on his own, against Bear’s explicit orders (and completely without Bear’s protection while knowing that there was much personal danger to himself). I don’t feel that the author made this change in character plausible. It kind of goes against everything we have come to know about Crispin.
  4. A bargain is reached in the end where Ayliff will agree to let them go with the promise that they will never return (and will hand over the evidence in the form of the cross). While we understand that Ayliff cannot be trusted, it still seems contrived that he would betray his oath right in front of the city gates. There is nothing in it for him, he’s already getting everything he wants by way of their exile. It felt like the author just wanted us to see Crispin and Bear square up in a final show of bravery even if it didn’t really add to the plot. 

Vocabulary:

Alb- white vestment worn by clergy

Bailiff- court official who keeps order

Blighted- ruined

Buxom- plump, especially with large breasts

Cacophony- harsh discordant mixture of sounds

Cur- scoundrel

Farthing- coin worth ¼ of a penny

Fording place- shallow point of river or stream

Gallows- structure used for hanging criminals

Genuflect- to bend the knee in reverence or respect

Glaive- sword

Impoverished- poverty-stricken

Kirtle- woman’s gown

Livery- official uniform

Mazer- hardwood drinking bowl

Mercenary- person concerned with material reward at the expense of ethics

Moot- a gathering of people to discuss a topic

Mummers- actors, performers, especially mime

Pattens- clog shoes

Pauper- very poor person

Pike- infantry weapon-long wooden pole with iron head

Portentous- ominous, foreshadowing, warning

Privies- outhouse, latrine

Punctilious- meticulous in detail

Reeve- president of a village or town

Sanctuary- place of refuge and safety

Servile- behaving like a slave

Slake- to satisfy (your thirst)

Spate- sudden flood

Spinney- small areas of trees and bushes

Tallow- a hard fatty substance used in making candles

Tonsured hair- priests or monks shaven top of head

Tresses- a long lock of a woman’s hair

Tumultuous- confusing, stormy

Untoward- inappropriate

Wattle and daub- interwoven sticks and twigs covered with clay or mud

Wizened- shriveled or wrinkled with age

Yew bows- longbow made from the wood of a yew tree