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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 hurtful question does Kelly ask Danicat and Bob their first night in the United States?

2. What does the giant velvet painting in Danticat's childhood apartment depict?

3. Which of Danticat's brothers immediately hugs her when she arrives in the United States at the family's apartment?

4. What do some of the young men of the neighborhood demand of Joseph to make amends for what they think are his crimes?

5. What does Mira say he would have liked to have done if he did not drive a taxi?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. 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?

7. 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?

8. What does Danticat mistake the fire escape of her family's New York apartment for?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Danticat's Uncle Joseph turn to religion? By the end of the book, does Joseph seem to have found the meaning he was searching for in his religious work? Write an essay explaining 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

Given the United States' long, violent, and often exploitative relationship with Haiti, what do you think is Danticat's opinion of the country she moved to as an adolescent? Given her family's experiences - especially Joseph's - in the United States, how would you describe her opinion of America? Write an essay explaining your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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