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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. Which neighbor of Joseph's comes to his house to warn him he is in danger from the neighbors?

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

3. Where does Joseph stay when he first flees his house in October 2004?

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

5. What does the head of the neighborhood gang threaten to do to Joseph if he can not come up with the money they are asking for?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tante Zi get Joseph out of hiding and safely to the airport in October 2004?

2. What does Danticat's father say when, as a child, she asks him what he would like to do if he could do something other than his actual job?

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 titled "Gypsy," what is Danticat's new home in America like physically?

6. Why does Danticat suspect her brother Bob asks for seconds of dinner on their first night in New York back with their parents?

7. In the section "Brother, I Leave You With a Heavy Heart," why is Danticat's father concerned about Joseph?

8. What happens to Joseph in Haiti in October 2004?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Marie Micheline dies in the midst of a violent outbreak in her neighborhood, and there is shooting outside by neighborhood gangs at Tante Denise's funeral. Write an essay exploring how the backdrop of violence in Danticat's family's Bel Air neighborhood in Haiti affects their lives and their outlooks.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay explaining the significance of Mira's first gift to Danticat when she arrives in the United States - a typewriter.

Essay Topic 3

What do you think the neighbors' behavior towards Joseph after his laryngectomy and tracheotomy procedures indicates about the relationships between the people in that area of Haiti, where Danticat lived until she was about 12? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text.

(see the answer keys)

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