Describe the role government Corruption plays in the life of the characters of Andy Mulligan’s novel Trash. What impact do Zapanta’s financial decisions have on the lives of the people of Behala? How are the boys affected by his corruption? What impact does it have on Father Julliard? How would Pia’s life had been different had the money been handled appropriately? What could have been prevented if Zapanta had made decisions that favored the people of Behala?

Teaching Suggestion: To help students break the question into smaller parts, you might suggest that they brainstorm a list of characters from the novel and then list the possible effects of Zapanta’s deception on each character. Another discussion point might involve analyzing the extent to which Zapanta’s actions hurt each of these characters; students might attempt to rank characters from least to most affected with statements of rationale for each.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who struggle with writing, consider limiting the writing assignment to the dumpsite community of Behala, Pia, and Father Julliard, because these characters likely felt the greatest impact of the government corruption. Consider allowing students to complete a graphic organizer, such as a T-chart with the names of the characters in one column and the impact of poverty brought by Zapanta in the other column.