Bunnicula — Chapter 5

About This Passage

This whispered exchange between Chester and Harold during the towel-cape scene is doing two things at once. First, it shows Chester's complete commitment to a plan that is completely failing. He insists 'I'm a vampire' as if saying it more emphatically would make the family understand. Second, it shows Harold's gentle but accurate observation: 'It's not working.' Harold is the voice of reality in this scene — he can see, even from inside the relationship, that Chester's plan is not producing the intended effect. The contrast between Chester's commitment and Harold's accuracy is the chapter's central comic engine. Copying this passage teaches a writer how a quick exchange of dialogue can render two completely different relationships to the same situation in the space of four sentences.

Narration Prompt

In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?

Discussion Questions

1. Chester acts out an elaborate vampire scene in front of the family — wearing a towel cape, throwing himself on his back, folding his paws, biting Harold on the neck, even fixing Harold with hypnotic eyes. The whole performance fails completely. Why do you think Chester believed the performance would work? What does it tell us about how he was thinking about his audience?
2. Chester bites Harold on the neck during the performance. Harold yelps and complains, but Mrs. Monroe immediately decides it must have been a 'love bite' and is 'cute.' Should Chester have bitten Harold to make his point, even though he did not actually hurt him much? Was the bite a fair price for trying to save the family from danger?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide