Hour of the Bees Test Review

- adventurous and daring - when she was about to die, she tells Serge that she is afraid of death and does not want him to leave her - refuses to stay in the village any longer - finds her home to be boring and does not seem to be entertained by the repetitive cycle - wants to go to the outside world and experience pain that she has never felt before

Based on Serge's story, describe Rosa's personality.

Start: - did not want to be with the family - was always glued to her phone - spoiled by her father - has 2 moods: Nice Alta and Moody Alta - does not consider Carol to be her real sister - her relationship with her mom is not that great and she is somewhat jealous of Carol for having a better family than she did End: - admits that she wanted to also talk to Serge - actually thought that Carol was her sister, despite not showing it - worried about Carol

Describe Alta:

Start: - wanted to be with her friends - did not want to be at the ranch - did not consider Serge to be her grandfather (first meeting) - tries her best to not upset her grandfather - does not really care about her roots End: - considers Serge as her grandfather - Serge's story has impacted her life - does not want her grandfather to leave - realizes the importance of her roots

Describe Carol:

Start: - nervous about going back to birth home after 12 years - wants to sell the ranch and put Serge in a nursing home - attempts to tolerate his father, but at the same time blames him for his mother's death - was very rebellious as a child - hated the ranch like his mother End: - doesn't want Serge to go - ends up not selling the ranch - regrets blaming his father for his mother's death, now knowing the truth - wants to make up for the years he has missed with his father - learns the importance of his roots

Describe Raul:

Start: - scared of death - Carol reminds him of Rosa - has dementia - tells Carol an interesting story about a girl named Rosa and a boy named Sergio, who lived in a village with a magical tree - had a dog named Ines - is scared of death and blood End: - got bit by a snake - really cared for Alta, Raul, Carol, and Patricia - is not scared of death anymore - actually admitted to wanting to go see the ocean

Describe Serge:

- had only a dozen of sheep roaming around - the massive pasture was now the color of swamp water and was crunchy - the entire property, including the house, looked ancient, but the inside was actually not that messy (maybe a bit untouched and dusty) - it seemed to be forgotten by civilization - the sheep are skinny in their bones are visible - it was a desert with no sign of water or moisture

Describe the conditions at the ranch.

The importance about the sun cakes was that Raul learned how to make them from Serge.

What is important about the sun cakes?

The biggest difference between Rosa and Serge is that Rosa is willing to go on an adventure where she is not scared to get hurt, unlike Serge who is very hesitant and does not like the idea of someone getting hurt and does not like the sight of blood. Rosa wants to go out to the outside world and explore, while Serge wants to stay in the village where no danger can occur.

What is the biggest difference between Rosa and Serge in the story?

It is similar to the Garden of Eden.

What is the imagery in Serge's story similar to?

The real ending to Serge's story is that the one who did not want to go to the hospital was actually Rosa. She was afraid of leaving and wanted Serge to stay with her. Serge even admitted that he wanted to go outside to see the ocean, which was ironic. Rosa admitted that she wanted to stay and Serge admitted that he wanted to leave. This is the real reason why Rosa died at the ranch and not at a hospital.

What is the real ending to Serge's story?

The real mission of the summer is to not get Serge upset while they are packing things up in order to sell the ranch and to get Serge moved into a nursing home where he will be properly taken care of.

What is the real mission of the summer and why is it important?

The real reason Patricia is upset when Alta arrives at the ranch with a new car is because she realizes that her ex husband, Gael, has been spoiling her too much and thinks that Alta favorites him more than her. She is also upset because she realizes that she has missed some huge event that happened to Alta while growing up.

What is the real reason that Patricia is upset when Alta arrives at the ranch with a new car?

Start: - Alta tells Carol that they were not actually sisters, which made Carol a bit upset - Carol thought that Alta was a bit spoiled and wanted to surpass her in every way possible - they were not really close End: - Alta confesses that she was jealous of Carol because she was able to spend more time with Serge than she did - Carol was surprised that Alta actually considered her as her sister because she thought that by being half-sisters, that they were not considered real sisters and Alta always acted distant with her - they started considering each other's feelings and their love for each other grew

What is the relationship like between Carolina and Alta?

The villagers began to see the outside world as an opportunity of adventure like Rosa did. By showing their interest in not only the outside world buts its treasures, they began to become more greedy. This is important to note because the greedier they got, the more they wanted to go outside, meaning the more tree bark they would strip from the tree that had protected them for many years. They eventually started to die because they took too much bark from the tree, which signified that the magic of the tree of fading.

What starts to happen to the villagers that travelled and why is that important?

It is evident that her mind is still at the ranch. She still thinks about the bees and the lifestyle she has been having during her time at the ranch. Her friends find it strange about her behavior. Her thoughts show that she is changed from the way she looks at things to the way she thinks of herself.

When Carolina returns to school, what is different about her?

She shows them that the bracelet was actually protecting her even outside the village and even showed them souvenirs she had obtained on her trip.

When Rosa returns from her travels, she captures the imagination of the village by doing what?

When Rosa travelled, Serge began to be paranoid because he thought something bad happened to her. He refused to eat or go outside because of these thoughts, so the villagers stopped mentioning her name until she came back.

When Rosa travelled, what did Serge do?

They landed in a lake.

Where did Carolina and Serge land after the car wreck?

Carolina

Which character calls a sheep a "dramatic bleeder?"

The story begins again with Carol returning to the land that Raul almost sold, which holds the new tree. A new beginning starts with a new tree.

How does the story "begin again?"

Serge's deception of time is that it goes by very slowly.

In both the novel and Serge's story, describe Serge's perception of time.

The villagers take more and more of the tree because they want to continue going outside and wants the tree's magic to continue protecting them. They are so blinded by greed that they do not expect what would happen to them next.

Why do the villagers take more and more of the tree?

Start: - Raul did not want to go back to the ranch, but did not really have a choice - Raul blames his father for what happened to his mother - Raul was a rebellious child, who just wanted to be free and do what he wanted, but Serge did not want his child to be affected by the bad influence of his friends - Serge and Raul did not have that good of a relationship, especially when Rosa was involved in their conversations End: - Raul wishes that he didn't leave his dad - Learns the truth about his mother's death and regrets blaming his father

Describe the relationship between Serge and Raul.

She has become to adapt to her "roots". She wants to learn more about the home she has been leaving in for the past weeks and does not think it would be right to leave it, especially selling the land to someone. This was Serge's home that he built as well as Raul's birth home. She wants to grow closer to not only her family history, but also to her grandfather.

On moving day, what change is the most obvious in Carolina?

Carol learns about Rosa's personality and even learns that she died of cancer. Raul tells her that the bumps on Serge's face were actually bee stings that did not heal. She even learned how pretty the night sky was there compared to in the city, as well as learning the differences between the city and the ranch.

On the mission to find the missing sheep, what does Carolina learn?

Serge stripped part of the tree from their favorite branch and carved it into a bracelet. He gave the bark bracelet in order for it to remind her of home and to protect her during her travels.

What did Serge give to Rosa to protect her during her travels?

Serge promised Rosa as a wedding gift that they would be able to go outside, the both of them together. This excites Rosa, but every time she asks Serge when they would go, he would say another week or so. She knows that he is scared of leaving, but that does not stop her from going by herself.

What did Serge promise Rosa as a wedding gift?

She picks out a bark bracelet. Raul approves of this because he things that the bracelet suits Carol and that it reminds him of Rosa.

What does Carolina pick from the closet to keep, and why does Raul approve of it?

That there are bees that suddenly appear to fly around them and that Carol has a hidden flame that has yet to be revealed like Rosa's.

What does Serge associate with both Carolina and Rosa?

The thing that Serge gives to Alta is a bark bracelet that he carved. This is important because if we think about Carol's bracelet, Rosa's bracelet that Carol picked out of the closet, Carol's represents an old beginning, while Alta's represents a new beginning (old bark & new bark). This also shows that he thought and cared for her, even if he was talking more to Carol than her.

What does Serge give Alta, and why is this important?

What Serge means when he asks both Carolina and Raul is that he is questioning why they are rejecting their ancestry or like lineage. It seems as if they are avoiding their family background and they are like direspecting it.

What does Serge mean when he asks both Carolina and Raul, "why do you spit on your roots?"

Serge's story centers around a magical tree in the village. This is important because this tree is able to give life to and heals others (before it was stripped and chopped down), as well as protect the villagers living in the village.

What does Serge's story center around, and why is that important?

Each village wants a part of the tree so that they can feel reassured by Rosa's words. If they are not satisfied with the small piece that they are given, they would carve out a bigger piece to bring along with them to remain safe while traveling.

What does each villager want so that they can remain safe while traveling?

She also takes a small seed.

What else does Carolina take from the closet?

The night before they left for the city, Ines had passed because of old age.

What happened to Ines the night before they leave for the city?

In Serge's story, the lake had been taken by the bees because of the tree. Since there tree was chopped down and turned into foolish things, the bees decided to take away there lake. (drought)

What happened to the lake in Serge's story?

It has brought back memories that he is starting to recall along with the past life he had in the village.

What has the rain at the ranch brought forth in Serge?

His version of the end of the story is death. He says this because when Rosa was dying, he thought that his father did not want to take her to the hospital (he later realizes he was wrong). This was also another reason why there was tension in his relationship with Serge.

What is Raul's version of the end of the story, and what does it explain?

He has dementia, meaning that he has difficulty remembering something (memory less)

What is Serge's diagnosis?

Serge is enraged when the real estate agent comes to the ranch. He wants to keep the ranch and does not understand why his son would do such a thing. This causes their relationship to worsen because arguments arose between the two. All Serge wants is for his son to understand the importance of his roots, and since Raul is deciding to sell it, it makes Serge feel upset. He probably feels this way because he thinks that Raul does not care about his ancestry at all. Serge does not want to lose the place where important memories were created.

What is Serge's reaction to the real estate agent and why is that important?

Raul burns the barn down because he says that the wood is decaying and termites are starting to eat it, meaning the wood would become less sturdy.

Why does Raul burn the barn down?

Alta did not seem to feel that she would fit into the family. Her whole life she is lived with her dad, but he never had any time to spend with her. She was just spoiled by him. When she looks at how Carol family behaves with each other, she is jealous because she has never experienced that type of love and affection.

Why has Alta been so awful all summer?

She is so disappointed with her school clothes because she does not think she looks good in them. She wants to fit in with her friends and look good on her first day, but she does not like how it looks on her. She is not really happy with her appearance.

Why is Carolina so disappointed with her school clothes?

Carolina is surprised when her father saves Luis from the rattlesnake because she did not know if he knew what to do since she has never seen him do this. She thought he was going to kill the snake but he told her that it was illegal to do so, so he went to throw it off the ridge. This scares Carolina because she thinks that the snake will slither back to harm her family again.

Why is Carolina surprised when her father saves Luis from the rattlesnake?

She has never met her grandfather before, so she does not know what to expect. She doesn't think that she can really consider him to be her grandfather. Also, after seeing how the ranch looked, she does not really have high hopes for having a good vacation. Not only that, she has to follow some rules in order to not upset her grandfather and thinks that the way he is speaking is bizarre because he brings up the thought of bees.

Why is Carolina uneasy when they arrive at the ranch?

It is important to Carolina that Serge sees the rain because ever since she has gotten to the ranch, Serge would always talk about how the bees would bring rain. Now that the drought is over, she wants Serge to know that the bees have finally brought back the water before it is too late.

Why is it so important to Carolina that Serge sees the rain?

The counting of sheep is Serge's way of measuring time. It is important to Serge because he lived in an era where time did not exist.

Why is measuring time so important to Serge?

The family is going to the ranch because Serge's conditions are getting worse and needs assistance. They are also preparing to sell the ranch and move Serge to a nursing home to get more professional help.

Why is the family going to the ranch?

The process of cleaning out Rosa's closet is important because it gives Carol the chance to know what her grandmother had done even though she had never met her before. Also, by doing this, it helps Raul and Serge to not look back on the past and for the memories of Rosa to live in their hearts. In other words, cleaning out Rosa's closet would mean that they will be able to move on.

Why is the process of cleaning out Rosa's closet important?