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1. How has the death of their mother affected Rufina and Rafa, at the beginning of the story?

Rufina and Rafa’s mother has recently died, and the two seem to have reverted back to childhood, instead of being 28 and 30, respectively. They are both unable to do more than lay on the living room floor the first day, but soon after Rufina forces herself to start a fire and begin usual chores. Rafa, on the other hand, so strongly mourns the loss of his mother, that he spends months lying in her bed.

2. What does the reader know about the Explorer, based on the "Friday" section of the book?

The Explorer used the two children, Rufina and Rafa, as street performers to get money from the tourists. He also treated their mother, Rosalinda, as if she were his wife. He used derogatory slurs towards the natives but mostly because he saw them as competition. He stayed with the family for seven years, and it is strongly hinted at that he impregnated both Rosalinda and Rufina.

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