Color of My Words Review Chapters 1-4

Why is Ana Rosa so "different" just because she likes to hide out in her favorite tree?

She prefers to be away from people to write, and others don't write or spend so much time by themselves. Instead of investing all of her time in boys, dresses, and fancy toys, she spends more of her time learning and developing her writing.

How does Ana Rosa's mom support her writing?

She doesn't tell on her for taking Guario's notebook. She tells the town that Ana Rosa is the person to write the story about the sea monster.

How is Ana Rosa's dream of dancing merengue similar to her dream of being a writer?

She is cautious to begin developing these skills, but her parents support her through both of them. She learns the proper place and time to use each, and learns more about them through life experience.

Why does Mami compare Ana Rosa to a river and the rocks during wash day?

She is talking about how certain people refuse to go with the flow and the directions that they are given. Ana Rosa wants to write, but this is against the law and is very dangerous. Ana Rosa sticks out from the other people because she wants to go against the flow.

At the end of Merengue Dream, Ana Rosa thinks that her Papi was everything she had always wanted him to be. What does she mean by thinking this?

She was able to learn something from him because he put her before himself and invested in her life. He taught her how to dance and made her feel special and loved, instead of consuming his day by drinking away his troubles.

At what job does Guario work?

As a waiter at a restaraunt

What does the main character call her mother?

Mami

What does this phrase mean: "¿Qué pasa?"

"What's up?"

What does this phrase mean: "Arroz con pollo?"

"chicken with rice"

What does "amigos" mean?

"friends"

What does this phrase mean: "mi amor?"

"my love"

What does the sea monster turn out to be?

A killer whale

What are "pesos?"

A type of money used in the Dominican Republic and some other Latin American countries.

Who is the main character?

Ana Rosa

Who is the main character's sister?

Angel

When Ana Rosa takes Guario's notebook, why doesn't she tell anyone until later?

Because she wants to write and she doesn't have any other way of getting paper.

What does Ana Rosa not know how to do? (until her father teaches her)

Dance

Ana Rosa faces obstacles in fulfilling her dream, what are they?

It is illegal to write, she has no paper, girls only go to school until they graduate elementary school (school doesn't support her writing much), and she cannot tell people about her writing.

Who is the main character's favorite brother?

Guario

On page 22, Guario says all he wants is a future. What does he mean?

He wants to make a difference and do something apart from take care of his family, but he feels that he must stay with his family to support them financially. He wants to get married and raise his own family, while working a job that gives his life meaning and purpose.

What does the author mean when she says "He was everything that was mystery and magic and it was during these fiestas that I loved my Papi so much I could see what Mami saw-a-dreamer, not a drinker-a dancer, not a drunk?"

Her father's personality was not just defined by his drinking. There were positive things about him, but they only showed when he was not drunk or sitting on the front porch. There was life in her father but it rarely cam out.

What does Ana Rosa mean in her poem "Words" when she writes that words can "get lost in the crowd" or that they can "slip off the edge and drown?"

Her voice is crying out to be heard, but it is hard for her not to get lost amid everything else that is going on in people's lives.

How does Ana Rosa learn how to dance?

Papi takes her to the beach to hear the "music" of the sea.

How and why does an adversity such as losing a notebook bring the entire family together?

They all know that if the notebook is not found, that Guario may be fired. They all pitch in their time to search for the notebook, and then their money to buy a new one. Their well-being depends on finding the notebook because Guario is the breadwinner.

How does Ana Rosa's family begin to support her dream of being a writer?

When she spots the killer whale "sea monster," the town decides to write a story about him to attract tourists and other people from around the island to their village. When she writes the story, her family claims her as their own and proclaims the greatness of her skills.