Read the passages of Anna Karenina that are mentioned or read in the play. How do the events and characters described in Anna Karenina parallel those in the play?

Describe the role ritual plays in the daily life of the cigar factory workers. How much of this ritual is based on superstition, and how much is associated with organized religion?

Who were the Taino Indians, and how was their influence felt on the island of Cuba during the early part of the last century? Is their influence felt today? If so, describe how.

What does it mean to be an oidore, or listener, while working at the cigar factory? How does Cruz impart symbolic value to what might otherwise be called a passive role?

Who was José Martí? Trace the tradition of poets and novelists becoming statesmen in Latin America...