The Way Up To Heaven

Do you think Mrs. Foster’s act of omission is morally justified? Why or why not? What do you think the story’s narrator thinks? What about Dahl?

Consider how the story creates expectations and surprises. What did you expect to happen, and were you surprised? How did the story create this effect?

Other short stories in Dahl’s Kiss Kiss explore ethical dilemmas. Choose one story and compare and contrast its treatment of ethical questions to “The Way Up to Heaven.”

Look carefully at what the narrator tells the reader. Which things are implied or omitted, and which things are definite? How does this shape your reaction to the story?

Consider the significance of Paris to the story. Why do you think Dahl chose this location?

Mrs. Foster writes letters to her husband while in Paris. Why do you think she does this, and in what way are the letters significant in the story?

Mr. and Mrs. Foster are wealthy. What difference does this make to the plot, characterization, and ethical questions of the story?

At the end of the story, Mrs. Foster “waits patiently” for the lift mechanic. Write a short story that immediately follows on from “The Way Up to Heaven.” Focus on what will be revealed and what Mrs. Foster will do and say. Consider how this process makes you engage with her actions, intentions, and moral culpability.