Short-Answer Quizzes: Part II and Conclusion, pp. 242-312

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Questions
1. What are the effects of the hurricane on George?

2. What are the circumstances surrounding Cocoa’s illness, and why are they so difficult for George to believe?

3. How is George’s fate tragic, and what is the potential impact of his fate on the plot?

4. How does Cocoa bring meaning to the loss of George?

5. What brings peace to Miranda at the end of the book, and how is that outcome significant?

Answers
1. The hurricane makes George realize his helplessness against nature, or God, and his smallness in the grand scheme of things. It changes his worldview by blending his love for logic with a newfound respect for the unknown.

2. Cocoa is poisoned by Ruby, who believes Cocoa has been flirting with Junior Lee. George lacks the knowledge and experience of Willow Springs to accept that hoodoo magic could be lethal to Cocoa.

3. George’s tragedy lies in his inability to move beyond his reliance on logic, which hinders his capacity to deal with Cocoa’s illness. His failure to escape dire circumstances echoes the generational loss experienced by the Day women.

4. Cocoa allows herself to endure the ongoing, painful process of grief. She understands that George will forever represent a profound love for her, unaffected by future relationships of affection and commitment.

5. Miranda finds solace in the belief that love, rather than suffering, maintains continuity within her family. This resolution finally alleviates the fear and doubt that has plagued the Day family history throughout the novel.

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Short-Answer Quizzes: Part II, pp. 166-242

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