Read about the stages of grief and determine where Benito seems to be in the process. Think about Benito's interactions with the people in the story. How does his grief affect his interactions with people? Prepare a diagram showing the stages of grief, including where Benito is and why. Also predict what you think will happen when he moves to Mexico.

Choose one of the characters in the story besides Benito, and rewrite the story from that character's point of view. Be sure the facts of your version match the facts of Adams's version, but be creative in imagining the story from another perspective. How does your narrator perceive himself or herself? How does he or she perceive Benito? What is the narrator's motivation for coming to the party, and does he or she know the other guests?

Benito plans to go...