The Westing Game: Who's Who?

The Westing Game: Who's who? Name:_________________ Date:_______

Who Am I? By now you know the cast pretty well. If you forget a name or two, I've posted the mailbox listings at the end. Just check the mailboxes.

Who were these people, these specially selected tenants? They were mothers and fathers and children. A dressmaker,a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake. Barney Northrup had rented one of the apartments to the wrong person. (p. 5; end of chapter one, The Westing Game)

1. I am the mistake. When Barney Northrup invited that select group of tenants to Sunset Towers, I think that he managed to confuse my name with someone else's. It might be why so little attention was paid to me there. It might also be why I felt that I had to be so creative with my appearance. It was the only way I could attract any attention. Remember, I had to coordinate my crutches with my outfits? I went to such lengths to be noticed by that smart set in Sunset Towers. It's kind of ironic that in the end, I was the one who guessed the missing name.

Okay, now, I have an important clue for you. I know shorthand. I made the only copy of the will. There was some doubt about a missing word at the end of article three, which turned out to be really important. I should have had more confidence in my shorthand or myself, or I might have realized that that missing word was not really missing. Darn! Someone else put two and two together and inherited the whole estate. Oh well. I loved my partner because she was beautiful, sweet, and misunderstood. Together we made a good pair. I am ______________________.

2. Grace Wexler and Mr. Hoo incorrectly theorized that I was the culprit. They jumped to this erroneous conclusion based on their clues, something to do with amber grain. Actually, I am not just the delivery boy, but a private detective pretending to be just a delivery boy. Don't say it too loud. Be discreet. I am ___________________ and I am 62 years old. Shhhh!

3. I am a "bookie". I am not ashamed to admit that I like to gamble and I like to make money when I gamble. I like betting on horse races and sporting events, particularly football games. I like the long shots and I like to be involved in setting the odds. I take this gambling hobby of mine very seriously. You can understand why, can't you? My day job is caring for feet. Yuck! Bunions, corns, callouses, fallen arches, hammer toes, etc. It's a living, but it's not fun. Odds are that you know my name. I would stake a lot of money on that. I am a betting man and my name is _________________.

4. Both my first and last names are misleading. My family's last name had been changed to sound less foreign and more American. That's understandable. My first name implies a virtue that I seem to lack. I am a bit insecure. Therefore, I come across as a pretentious social climber. I like interior decorating and I hope to be a rich heiress. There, I've said it. It's so nice to make your acquaintance. Allow me to present myself. I am _________________________. You will get extra credit if you correctly remember my full name!

5. It's very hard being me, because I have a pretty serious disability. I have a disorder that affects my ability to speak clearly and also my mobility. I spend a lot of my free time looking out the window. All of this observing has made me somewhat of an amateur bird watcher. I'd like to get better and I hope to be an ornithologist when I grow up. I am ___________________.

6. I own a restaurant, but my real passion is inventing ingenious and useful things. I like to know that my inventions improve people's lives and I hope to make money from them. My latest innovation is a disposable paper innersole that takes the pain out of standing around. I call it the Little Foot-Eze I just might put some podiatrists out of business! Hah! Please take a menu and make yourself comfortable. The food here is exquisite. I am ___________.

7. I immigrated to America from China. My English is not good. I have a bad habit. I steal things. I don't fit in here. I do appreciate the English lessons Dr. Wexler gives me. I am a hostess in the restaurant upstairs. I wear dresses with slits up one side. I am ______________.

8. I hope you don't dislike me because of my annoying habit of diagnosing everyone around me. It is just that medical school is so demanding. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the subject -plastic surgery in my case- is very challenging. I have heard that I can seem pompous. I confess to being a little self-absorbed at times. I have even heard the term, narcissistic. Have hope for me. I won't always be in medical school. I should start to relax. Right now I am always on call. Is there a doctor in the house? I am _______________________.

9. I am a doorman. I have an interesting job description. I open the door and greet the tenants. I wish them well. I say innocuous things like "Have a nice day," or "Looks like rain," or "My, it's cold out there." At the end of the book you learn that I am not who you thought I was and that the doorman disguise was a disguise from the very beginning. But, as long as I am a doorman and opening doors for people, you should call me by that name. I am known as _________________________.

10. My judgment is excellent and my ability to be both discerning and disinterested allowed me to rise to the high position I hold today. I am not as disinterested about Sam Westing as I should be, however. I still am capable of having emotional outbursts when I think about him, although I guess I should be grateful for all he managed to do for me and my family. I never believed his motives were anything but selfish. I like it when the court bailiff says, "All rise for Judge______________."

11. I have a nickname. It's a cold-blooded animal and it is this nickname I'm most comfortable with. I'm a bull when the stock market is rising and my favorite newspaper is The Wall street Journal. My room is the size of a closet, but I'm not there very much. I care about protecting my sister and winning. Don't pull my pigtails, or I'll kick you hard in the shins. I am ____________________.

12 I am a dressmaker. I can sew just about anything. I have an unfortunate last name, particularly when things are blowing up. I had a child, but she had a serious congenital defect and died young. She was very special. Please call me if you have any custom sewing needs. I am especially good with wedding dresses, but I can handle Halloween costumes, too. Here's my card. I'm _________________.

13. My life probably seemed perfect to everyone else. For me, it became unbearable. Every decision was made for me. It gets pretty terrible having to be "the good daughter". I finally got so frustrated with my situation that I thought I would explode. Thanks goodness for Sydelle. l She understood me and listened to me. Thank goodness no one was hurt by any of my outbursts. I guess my sister is my protector. I am the bomber. I never meant any harm. I am ________________.

14. I am a track star. Need I say more? I run every place I go, every chance I get. My dad would like me to study harder in school, but I think he'll be happy when I win scholarships and Olympic medals. Gotta run. My name is ______________.

15. I am living a life of penance to pay for my past mistakes. My biggest mistake was forcing my daughter to marry some rising star, rather than let her marry the man she really loved. I should have minded my own business and let my daughter do as she pleased. I was once rich, but now I serve the poor, ladling out the daily soup at the soup kitchen. I dress in black and am generally called by just my last name, which is ______.

16 I'm the last of the sixteen heirs. There's not too much you can say about me, except that I'm a good brother and a pretty good son. I like to write. My parents work hard in their coffee shop on the ground floor of Sunset Towers. I will end up marrying well in the end. I am _____________________.



Names on the mailboxes in the alcove off the lobby:

Office Dr. Wexler
Lobby Theodorakis Coffee Shop
2C F. Baumbach
2D Theodorakis
3C S. Pulaski
3D Wexler
4C Hoo
4D J. J. Ford
5 Shin Hoo's Restaurant