paladin in the lost hour

Exam Questions
1. “Paladin of the Lost Hour” is about an old man named Gaspar that was visiting his wife’s grave when two kids jumped him and cried out for help when Billy who was visiting a soldier that had saved his life, comes to Gaspar’s rescue. Gaspar asks if they would like to go for tea and that’s when their friendship begins. When Billy goes to work Gaspar cooks him dinner, and when Billy comes home they talk, and get to know each other. Gaspar asks Billy to go to the cemetery with him one last time and at the cemetery Gaspar said that the watch he carried had one last hour on it and he was the protector of the watch, and was looking for someone to take over for him. Gaspar had said that what they had done together that he knew he was the right person to pass to.
2. Major conflicts in “Paladin of the Lost Hour” are that Billy had Post Dramatic stress disorder
3. In detail, Billy was an average guy he has a job and his own apartment. But he had been in the Vietnam war
4. “Responsibility for one’s own actions” is a major theme because throughout the whole story it gives examples of being responsible. At first when he first met Gaspar in the cemetery Billy was feeling responsible for the soldier that saved his life. Then when Gaspar needed help Billy helped. Billy took Gaspar in and was trusting to him. Billy had a hard job, but he still was responsible and did his long shifts that ended at two in the morning. When Billy came home to a lovely dinner made by Gaspar, Billy expressed how he felt about being responsible for the soldier that took his life for Billy. As Gaspar explained that his time was coming up Billy didn’t want it to happen, when Gaspar told Billy he wanted him to be responsible for the watch Billy didn’t understand why. But in the end Billy finally understand the tests that Gaspar was giving him and that he could be responsible. Gaspar was also a responsible one because he tested Billy to make sure he was the right one to be the next guardian of the watch.
5. The main character, Billy changed a lot throughout the story. He started out as this lonely guy working long nights and sleeping during the day, visiting the grave of the soldier that saved Billy as much as he can. Then when Gaspar came along Billy had someone to come home to, he wasn’t as independent. He was open and caring. By the end of the story Billy had not realized it but he had become stronger and more responsible. After he got the chance to talk to the soldier that saved his life and realized he had to be the new keeper of the watch, he believed in himself, was responsible, and he had hope.
6. I liked the whole story, at first it was difficult to read but I enjoyed what I got from it in the end. I liked best the end where Billy got to talk to the soldier that saved his life. And after that when Billy turns around and sees the old man on the ground and thinks he’s dead but as he has Gaspar’s head in his lap Gaspar says something and then dies. Which I found funny because he pretended to die, then he actually died.
7. I think another possible title for this story is “Vietnam Soldier”.