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The Thin
execuTionereducator’s guide
by Darren Shan
curriculum connections
D honor
D Tolerance
D overcoming challenges
Ages: 15 & up
The Thin execuTioner
Discussion Questions
1. Jebel hates the fact that he is judged by his size, looks,
and status. How does he judge Bastina and Debbat Alg?
Do his judgments prove to be unjustified?
2. When Jebel first meets Tel Hasani and his family, how
are Jebel’s long-held stereotypes of slaves challenged?
How does J’An Nasrim help Jebel overcome his rudeness
in order to achieve his goal of obtaining a slave to
accompany him on his quest?
3. Most of the groups of people that Tel Hasani and Jebel
meet have a belief in a God or gods, yet human life
seems to be of little value. How is murder justified by
the people they meet? Why do the gods they worship
condone killing?
4. Why does Jebel’s animosity toward Tel Hasani begin to
lessen after the close call on their lives in Shihat? What
is Jebel beginning to realize about Tel Hasani?
5. When Jebel risks his life to save Tel Hasani against the
Mamlah (page 182) and in the street in Disi (page 270)
his actions stem from selfishness. Jebel knows that if
he doesn’t save Tel Hasani, Jebel himself will die. How
does Jebel’s attitude toward Tel Hasani differ from Tel
Hasani’s attitude toward Jebel? What is the basis for the
difference?
6. Human greed spawns the violence and bloodshed
throughout the story. What do the greed mongers
Masters Blair and Bush receive for their final show of
greed? Is Jebel justified in what he does? Why or why
not? How does the decision Jebel makes affect his
future?
7. What do the Moharrag villagers and the bat people
have in common? How do Tel Hasani and Jebel use that
knowledge to escape from Qasr Bint? How does their
connection to animals affect their values in comparison
to the other societies Jebel encounters?
8. Jebel’s meeting with Rakhebt Wadak, the god of death,
frightens him at first. What deal does Jebel make with
him? Is the meeting real or is it a dream? Justify your
answer.
9. While Jebel’s resolve wavers as he seeks to complete his
quest and reclaim his honor, Tel Hasani never wavers in
his desire to save his family from lives of slavery. Of the
two, who shows more honor and respect? How do the
two men become equal in the end?
10. What do both gods Jebel meets on his quest, Rakhebt
Wadak and Sabbah Eid, tell him about their existence
and who they are? What does this reveal about the
different beliefs of the people Jebel and Tel Hasani
meet on their quest?
11. On Jebel’s return he is received warmly by his family
and the Wadi Alg. Why don’t any of them really believe
that he has completed his quest? Why does the Wadi
Alg not question Jebel?
12. When Jebel proves himself by winning the mukhayret and
becoming the new executioner, what is the first shocking
action he takes? Why does Jebel’s final decision not to
execute anyone cause his family great shame? Is there any
irony in Jebel’s decision?
Activities
Quest Encounters
Jebel leaves his home in shame and does not say good-bye
to his family or offer any explanation for his quest. Ask
students to divide into small groups and give each group
an equal portion of the book to create a timeline of Jebel’s
quest, including the people he meets, the places he stops,
the encounters he has, and the growth he experiences
along the quest. Then ask students to creatively illustrate
their portion of the timeline to display with the other
sections, including 3D elements as well as text and images.
Postcards from the Quest
Jebel and Tel Hasani receive help from people along the
way, but they are also shunned and abused by others.
Ask students to brainstorm a list of people who helped
them on their quest and those that hindered them.
Then ask students to select one person from the list to
write an oversized postcard from either Jebel or Tel Hasani.
Express their feelings about what the person did to either
help or hinder them and any lessons that were learned
from the experience. Have students use cardstock for
their postcards and add elements of the postcard format
including illustrations. Display the postcards on
a bulletin board.
Here’s Jebel…Where do you stand?
On page 347, Jebel says, “I don’t know what I am, but I
am not what I was.” His experiences on the quest have
changed him to the point that he no longer recognizes
himself. In small groups ask students to complete three
columns on one sheet of paper. In the first column,
students should list Jebel’s beliefs when he started his
quest. In the second column, list his new beliefs; in the
third column, what happened to change his belief. Have
each group create a poster collage visually representing the
before and after beliefs of Jebel. Then share and display
their collages.
What’s your Theme?
Honor, tolerance, friendship, shame, family, and
overcoming challenges could all be themes of The Thin
Executioner. Ask students to select one of the ideas above,
one of their own, or use a famous quote and write a
thematic statement and a paragraph justifying it with
support from the book. Divide students into groups of four
or five to share and discuss their thematic statements and
paragraphs.
An Artist Rendering
The imagery in the book during the fights, in the villages,
and in other adventures on the quest can be seen with
words in the mind’s eye. Ask students to select a
descriptive passage from the novel to illustrate in detail
using pen and ink, chalk, watercolor, or pencil. Each
student should also write a caption for their drawing.
Have students share their drawings with the class.
The Thin execuTioner
A Living Nightmare ISBN: 978-0-316-60510-6
The Vampire’s Assistant ISBN: 978-0-316-60684-4
Tunnels of Blood ISBN: 978-0-316-60608-0
www.lbschoolandlibrary.com
The Thin execuTioner
In a kingdom of merciless tyrants, Jebel Rum’s family is honored as royalty because his father is the executioner. But Rashed Rum is near retirement. And when he goes, there will be a contest to determine his successor. It is a contest that thin, puny Jebel has no chance of winning. Humiliated and ashamed, Jebel sets out on a quest to the faraway home of a legendary fire god to beg for inhuman powers so that he can become the most lethal of men. He must take with him a slave, named Tel Hesani, to be sacrificed to the god. It will be a dark and brutal journey filled with lynch mobs, suicide cults, terrible monsters, and worse, monstrous men. But to Jebel, the risk is worth it. To retrieve his honor . . . to wield unimaginable power . . . to become . . . the thin executioner.
Inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, international bestselling master of horror Darren Shan takes readers on a thrilling, fast-paced journey into a nightmarish world where compassion and kindness are the greatest crimes of all.
about the author
Darren Shan grew up in Limerick,
Ireland, and wrote his first book
when he was in high school.
Although that debut effort was
never published, he went on to
become a full-time writer. His
first books for young readers,
Cirque Du Freak, an epic saga
about warring vampires, became
a New York Times bestselling
series, which was made into
the movie Cirque Du Freak:
The Vampire’s Assistant. Darren
followed up with the gruesome
Demonata, also a New York Times
bestselling series. His novels
have sold over 15 million copies
worldwide. Darren lives in Ireland,
where he writes and collects art,
comics, and film.
Darren invites you to visit his
website at www.darrenshan.com.
also available: Darren shan
Educator’s Guide prepared by Anne Quirk.
ISBN: 978-0-316-07865-8
Lord Loss ISBN: 978-0-316-01233-1
Demon Thief ISBN: 978-0-316-01238-6
Slawter ISBN: 978-0-316-01388-8
about the book