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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 do the passengers name Cèlianne's baby?

2. Who is the first narrator referring to in this sentence? "She is short and speaks in a singsong that reminds me of the villages of the north."

3. Who said, "Maybe it's like you've always said. I imagine too much?"

4. How are Haitians treated in the Bahamas?

5. Which of these statements is true?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the female narrator tell her father at the dinner table? Why does she do this? What is his reaction?

2. Think about the male narrator's references to skin color. How does this reflect the social prejudices prevalent in the story?

3. Describe the Banyan tree. Why is it important?

4. Describe Celianne.

5. What do they name Celianne's child? What does the male narrator say about naming a child? What does this contrast tell us?

6. At what point does the female narrator's father feel hurt? What internal struggles seem to prevent him from reaching out?

7. What does the young man on the boat have to prove that he is a political refugee? Why is it necessary to have these things?

8. What bird do both of the narrators mention? In what way do each of them refer to it?

9. What phrase do both the narrators use to describe their love for one another? How is this significant?

10. What is the male narrator's last memory of his mother? How do you think this affects him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the sea personified in the story? What do the narrators descriptions of the sea tell us about the narrator himself? How does this contrast with the female narrator's descriptions of the mountains?

Essay Topic 2

Think about the narrator's words to one another. What do their descriptions of love or messages/ pledges to one another tell us about their mindsets? Be sure to use examples.

Essay Topic 3

Think about the female narrator's relationship with her mother. What parallels do we see in both their lives? How does her mother try and repair the relationship between the narrator and her father? Is she successful?

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