Trash

What is a 'special'?

A special is a bag of trash.

What did you notice about the way Gardo narrates compared to Raphael and what does this show us about his personality?

Gardo said that Raphael forgets what to write and they were going to take turns writing the story.

What do you think Gardo means when he says to Raphael's Auntie, "If one of us got all that money you think we'd be allowed to keep it for long?"

Gardo thinks that people will steal the money they win.

What was inside the locker?

Inside the locker were more numbers.

What mountain range does Raphael compare the garbage piles to and why?

Raphael compares the garbage piles to mountains because of how big they are.

"I don't want to upset anyone, that's not my business here." Why is this statement ironic considering Raphael's job and life?

Raphael does not want anyone to hurt him.

How much money did Raphael find?

Raphael found 1100 pesos.

List all of Raphael's personal possessions:

Raphael had the wallet and a pair of jeans.

Who does Raphael live with?

Raphael lives with his auntie.

"You don't want to draw attention to yourself or you can lose what you find." What does Raphael mean when he says this?

Raphael means if you tell everyone they would want the same thing.

How much money does Raphael offer Rat to keep the bag hidden?

Raphael offers Rat fifty pesos.

What does Raphael tell the police he found after his Auntie tells them he found something?

Raphael tells them that he found a shoe.

Why does Raphael describe Rat as a spider?

Raphael thinks Rat is a spider because he is so thin.

How old was Raphael when he started sorting rubbish?

Raphael was 3 years old.

Who is Raphael's rubbish collecting partner?

Raphael works with Gardo.

Where does Rat live?

Rat lives with the animal rats.

What is Rat's real name and why do people call him Rat?

Rat's name is Jun-Jun and he is called Rat because he lived with them and looks like the animal rat.

What is stuppa and why is it wrapped up in paper?

Stupa is poop and it is wrapped in paper because people did not have anything else to put it in.

How old are the boys?

The boys are 14 years old.

What color was the handbag that someone found in the rubbish?

The handbag was brown.

What does the key open and how does Rat know this?

The key opens a padlock key lock and Rat knows because he has a house.

How much are the police offering as a reward for the bag now?

The police are rewarding double the money they started with.

Raphael says, "With the right key, you can bust the door wide open." Usually a key is used to open a door to let someone out. What could 'busting the door open' represent for Raphael and Gardo? How are they trapped?

The police came so now they are trapped.

What is their town called?

The town is called Behala.

Why is the trash 'alive at night'?

The trash moves in the middle of the night.

"You want to come see?" Why do you think the writer uses the second person pronoun 'you' in this sentence?

The writer said that because people are curious.

What do the boys decide to do with the bag?

They are going to hide the bag somewhere else.

What else did they find that was interesting?

They found an ID card in the wallet.

How do the boys get to the central train station?

They get on the train by running onto the train.

What did the policemen offer as a reward for finding the bag?

They offered ten thousand dollars to everyone.

How does the writer show us who is narrating the chapter?

They tell it is them again.

What implement do they use to pick up the rubbish?

They use their hands as implements.