The Way Up to Heaven

The Way Up to Heaven by Roald Dahl

Teaching Notes
Pre reading activity.
. Are you a good or a bad timekeeper?
- How important do you think it is to arrive on time?
- Do you mind being kept waiting? Do you think it is rude to keep someone
waiting?
- Why do you think some people are always late?
- Do you know anyone with an unreasonable fear of missing a train, a plane or a
bus?

Reading comprehension
2. What happens to Mrs Foster whenever she has to take a train or a plane?
3. What is Mr Fosters reaction when he sees his wife behave like that?
4. What is Mrs Fosters reaction to her husbands calm attitude?
5. Do you think Mr Foster is a cruel man?
6. Who do you sympathize more with, Mr or Mrs Foster?
More questions
1. Is the Fosters' marriage happy and trouble-free?
(a) Does Mrs Foster have a habit which is a problem and causes her
unhappiness? (p. 67)
(b) Is Mr Foster sympathetic to her and does he do all he can to make things
easier for her? (p. 67)
(c) Has Mrs Foster always been a good wife? (p. 68)
(d) Does she realize Mr Foster's real intentions on occasions when he keeps her
waiting? (p. 68)
2. What evidence is there of Mr Foster's attitude to his wife?
(a) When Mrs Foster is in a hurry to leave for the airport the first time, does Mr
Foster also hurry to join her in the car? (pp. 69-70)
(b) Does Mr Foster feel unhappy about having to stay in the club while his wife is
away and will he answer her letters? (p. 71)
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The Way Up to Heaven

(c) What does he stare at while they are in the car? (p. 72)
(d) Does he stay with her at the airport or show affection and sorrow because
she is going away? (p. 72)
(e) What are his first words when she returns from the airport? (p. 74)
(f) The next morning, is Mr Foster ready to leave at the arranged time and why
does he say he has left the white parcel in the house? (p. 75)
3. How do Mrs Foster's feelings about her husband develop?
(a) What does she begin to suspect about his actions?
(p. 68)
(b) Does she feel close to her husband when she returns from the airport for the
night? (p. 74)
(c) `They always seemed to be meeting in the hall nowadays.' (p. 74) What does
this tell us about their relationship?
4. How does Mrs Foster change from the time when she goes back to the house
to speak to her husband? (p. 76)
(a) Why does she stop?
(b) What is she listening to?
(c) How do her manner and appearance change when she decides to go to the
airport immediately? (p. 77)
(d) What is the new mood which develops while she is on the plane? (pp. 7778) 1
5. How does Mrs Foster feel and act when she returns from France?
(a) Is she unwilling to come back? (p. 78)
(b) Is she surprised when she finds that there is no car to collect her at the
airport? (p. 78)
(c) What does she find when she opens the front door and what does she smell?
(p. 79)
(d) What does she do when she gets inside the house and what kind of
expression does she have on her face? (p. 79)
(e) What has happened to the elevator?
(f) What has happened to Mr Foster?

The Way Up to Heaven

6. What does Mrs Foster say in the letters she wrote from Paris?
(p. 78). In what way are the letters very ironic?
7. Which of the following remarks do you agree with, and which do you disagree
with and why?
(a) Mrs Foster's decision at the front door is one you can understand and
sympathize with.
(b) Mr Foster deserved what he got.
(c) Mrs Foster should have separated from her husband a long time before the
time of the story.
(d) Mrs Foster deserves to live happily with her grandchildren in France.
(e) Mrs Foster murdered her husband.
(f) Mrs Foster simply took full advantage of an unfortunate accident.
(g) It is very surprising that Mrs Foster didn't feel guilty about her actions.