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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. What street does Danticat live on as a child in New York?

2. What disguise does Joseph wear to move between houses in Bel Air in October 2004?

3. How does Joseph look different to Danticat when she meets him at the airport in 1983?

4. What does Tante Denise think Marie Micheline really died from?

5. What earlier historical tragedy does the asylum system and process sometimes remind Danticat of?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Joseph visits New York in 1983, what life-changing device does he receive from the hospital?

2. Why does Tante Zi tell Joseph he could not have escaped himself?

3. Why are some neighbors angry with Joseph in October 2004?

4. What factor about Danticat's pregnancy causes her some anxiety?

5. In the section "Brother, I Can Speak," how does Danticat's father refer to Danticat and Bob in front of Joseph when he comes to visit in New York?

6. Whose house does Joseph initially take refuge in when he is in hiding in Haiti in October 2004?

7. What story about Marie Micheline does Danticat tell her Uncle Joseph the night of Marie Micheline's funeral?

8. What folktale about hell does Danticat recall Granme Melina telling?

9. What does Danticat's father do for work in the United States, and what are some of his challenges on the job?

10. In the section titled "Gypsy," what is Danticat's new home in America like physically?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the links between new life and death in Danticat's personal life experiences with her father and her baby. Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Danticat explores the subject of death from several different angles and through the experiences of several different family members in this book. Write an essay analyzing her perception of Granme Melina's attitudes towards death, especially considering Granme Melina's many folktales and legends she told the children that dealt with that topic.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 768 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample