38 Questions for the

Movie 42
1. Why did Clay Hopper (manager of the Montreal Royals)
have to listen to Mr. Ricky and treat Jackie Robinson
fairly?
2. Why do you think it was important for the manager of
the team to not show any prejudice?
3. What did Mr. Ricky ask Jackie Robinson to have the guts
not to do?
4. Why did Jackie Robinson not let the crowd ever see his
frustration with the racism he faced?
5. What was Jackie Robinson famous for in baseball? (His
signature move)
6. Why did Mr. Ricky take the chance and bring an African
American into the major leagues?
7. Did African Americans have to sit in a different section
as fans at baseball games?
8. Do you think Jackie was a strong person? Why or why
not?
9. Why did Jackie have to leave his house in the middle of
the night with Wendell?
10. Why did Jackie think he had to leave?
11. Give at least 5 examples of racism from the movie.
12. How is the situation that African Americans faced
in the United States the same as the Jewish people in
Europe?
13. Do you think Jackie Robinson had a good attitude?
14. Name one time in the movie where Jackie or
another African American felt threatened by a white
person.
15. How did the players of the Brooklyn dodgers react
to Jackie Robinson during his first spring training camp
with them?
16. What position did they have Jackie Robinson play
for the Dodgers?
17. How did the general manager of the Dodgers react
to the racist actions of his players?
18. Which player(s) on the Dodgers stuck up for Jackie
Robinson?
19. Why do you think Jackie was not pleased to be
driven around by the black reporter?
20. Do you think Jackie was being fair to Wendell?
21. Why did the reporter, Wendell, have to sit in the
crowd to do his reporting?
22. What number was Jackie Robinson?
23. Why do you think his number is retired from
baseball?
24. Why do you think Jackie Robinson wasn't singing
the national anthem at the opening game of the
Dodgers season?
25. Do you think it was ironic that Jackie and his wife
had a white babysitter for their son?
26. How do you think Jackie Robinson felt at the
beginning of his career with the Dodgers? Do you think
he felt the same way at the end of his career? Why or
why not?
27. Why could Jackie Robinson not yell at or punch the
manager of the Phillies but one of his teammates could?
28. When Mr. Ricky told Jackie Robinson he was
medicine, what did he mean?
29. Find a picture of Jackie Robinson. Compare it to the
actor who played him in the movie? Do you think they
did a good job of casting the role of Jackie Robinson?
30. What happened to the player who started the
petition against Jackie Robinson?
31. Why was it important for Jackie Robinson to have
his picture taken with the racist Phillies manager? How
did Jackie Robinson make it easier for both him and
Chapman?
32. What started the brawl on the field between the
Dodgers and the Pirates?
33. If racism had been allowed on the Dodgers by the
manager, do you think it would have turned out
differently for Jackie Robinson?
34. Give an example from the movie that shows
children learn from their parents.
35. Did the entire team accept Jackie Robinson? Give
examples.
36. Why do all Major League baseball players wear the
number 42 in April every year?
37. Think of 4 more questions you could ask (thick or
thin) to make the total number of questions 42!
38. Did you like the movie?