The document is a series of discussion questions about the short story "Silence" by Larry Watson. It explores the narrator's decision to stop speaking at age 8 after his father took custody of him. This "power" of silence was not easily undone and affected their relationship. The questions compare the mother's typical gender role to her actions, discuss the child custody arrangement, and whether the father tried to connect with his son. It also asks about the narrator's regrets and treatment of the father-son relationship in the story.