Pretty much every student in Tears of a Tiger feels guilty at some point. Tyrone feels badly for having beer and thinking everything was funny the night of the accident; B.J. blames himself for not stopping the others from drinking; Keisha feels guilty for not sticking by Andy when he needed it. And Andy? He's got more than enough guilt to go around. That guy doesn't let himself feel anything but blame for Robbie's death. Plus, he's the only one who doesn't come to terms with his guilt.
Eventually, the other characters learn to accept their part in Robbie's death or deal with the blame they feel each day, but not Andy. He keeps blaming himself until he can't take it any more.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Is Andy to blame for Robbie's death? Why or why not? Should he blame himself as much as he does?
- Why does Andy visit the spot where the accident took place? Do you think it makes him feel more or less guilty?
- Do guilt and blame work together to bring reformation of any of the characters in this book? Why or why not? Can you have guilt without blame, or blame without guilt?
Chew on This
The thing Andy is guiltiest of never even crosses his mind: He fails to invest in the life he's lucky enough to walk away from the accident with.
Andy's guilt over Robbie's death is completely justified. In fact, it's unfair that so many people want to let him get away with causing Robbie's death.