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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 of these does not appear in the male narrator's dream?

2. Why does the male narrator have to throw out his notebook?

3. How old is Celianne?

4. What is the relationship between the two narrators?

5. What did the soldiers make Celianne's brother do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the male narrator's reaction to Celianne going into labor. What does this reveal about the narrator?

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

3. What happened to Celianne? Why is she leaving Haiti?

4. What does the female narrator's family do to protect themselves against the soldiers? Why is this important?

5. What apology does the narrator's father give to her after their fight? Does it work?

6. What does the female narrator do in a "last resort" way to preserve hope after the black butterflies come? Does it work?

7. What does the male narrator ponder regarding gender?

8. What is the significance of butterflies in the story?

9. What results is the female narrator waiting to hear on the radio? Why is this important?

10. What obstacle must the female narrator's family overcome before they can leave the city? How do they fix this? How does this blur the lines of good/evil and friends/enemies in the narrative?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Consider the relationship between the second narrator and her father. What helps the narrator come to terms with her father's decision? Who influences the narrator's change of heart? Does this mean she is able to forsake her love for the first narrator?

Essay Topic 2

Think about Madan Roger. What is significant about her? What does she represent in the story? Be sure to use examples.

Essay Topic 3

What do you think the banyan tree symbolizes in the story? When does it appear? Who sits under it? What does the narrator say her mother told her about banyan trees? What impact do you think it has on the narrative?

(see the answer keys)

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