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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Marie Micheline's husband take her away from Bel Air?

2. What is Marie Micheline's husband's name?

3. What kind of record does Joseph listen to in 1978 as he gets ready for the day?

4. Where do Danticat's parents and extended family live in the U.S.?

5. Which of Danticat's brothers live closest to their parents?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Danticat's father concerned about her move in 2002?

2. In the section titled "Have You Enjoyed Your Life?", what does the herbalist Danticat's father takes her to tell her about her health?

3. Who is the father of Marie Micheline's first baby and what is that person's reaction when confronted with the fact of the pregnancy?

4. In the section titled "Good-bye," what book does Danticat select to buy for herself while out with Joseph and why?

5. What illness does Uncle Joseph suffer from that eventually robs him of his voice?

6. In the section titled "Good-bye," how do the children determine that Granme Melina has died?

7. What does Danticat remember most fondly about Marie Micheline's kindness towards her as a young child?

8. Which politician does Uncle Joseph admire in the 1950s in Haiti and why?

9. How does Joseph communicate and what does he communicate at Granme Melina's funeral since he can not give a sermon due to the loss of his voice?

10. What eventually happens with Marie Micheline's first husband, Pressoir?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing some of the factors that Danticat explains went awry that led to her Uncle Joseph being detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in 2004. How does Danticat feel about the events of that time period in the United States that ultimately led to Joseph's death?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Danticat's Uncle Joseph turn to religion? By the end of the book, does Joseph seem to have found the meaning he was searching for in his religious work? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Danticat recalls a Haitian saying advising people who are washing others' children to only wash one side of the child, which she interprets as advising adults not to get too attached to children who are not their own. Write an essay analyzing the meaning of this saying and decide whether or not it seems to apply to Danticat's specific experience being raised by both Joseph and Mira.

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