1. Isabel uses her imagination to escape from the harsh realities of her life.

To protect herself against dreams that could never come true, she daydreams about a man she is sure she will never meet again. Was this a healthy way to cope with her problems? Why did she choose this fantasy?

2. Isabel and Ray agree that it is best not to discuss with their mother the way their father treats the family, and they guide their brothers and sisters into that same policy. Why did they do this and was it foolish to go on pretending that nothing was wrong?

3. Isabel told her mother that she felt bruised when her father verbally assaulted her and tore the sash from her dress and stomped it in the dirt. Her mother replied that she understood, that "there's all kinds of bruises." Discuss the potential longlasting...