Characters
Who is the main character who remembers seeing the sun?
Who is Margot?
On what planet does the story take place?
Answer: What is Venus?
What event are the children waiting for at the beginning of the story?
Answer: They are waiting for the sun to appear.
What does frail mean?
Answer: Weak, delicate, or physically fragile.
What emotion causes much of the children’s cruel behavior toward Margot?
Answer: Jealousy.
Why is Margot different from the other children?
Answer: She lived on Earth and remembers the sun.
What is the weather usually like on Venus?
Answer: It rains constantly.
What do the children do to Margot before the sun comes out?
Answer: They lock her in a closet.
What does surged mean?
Answer: Moved suddenly and powerfully forward.
Why does Margot understand the importance of the sun better than her classmates?
Answer: She remembers experiencing it on Earth.
How do the other children generally treat Margot?
Answer: They exclude, tease, and bully her.
How often does the sun appear on Venus in the story?
Answer: Once every seven years.
What happens when the rain suddenly stops?
Answer: The sun comes out, and the children rush outside.
What does savored mean?
Answer: Enjoyed or appreciated something fully.
What can we infer from the children becoming quiet when they remember Margot?
Answer: They realize what they have done and feel guilty.
Why are the children jealous of Margot?
Answer: She remembers the sun while they do not.
Approximately how long does the sun remain visible?
Answer: About two hours.
What causes the children to remember Margot?
Answer: The rain begins again, reminding them that Margot missed the sun.
What does slackening mean?
Answer: Becoming less strong, intense, or active.
What lesson does the story teach about how we should treat people who are different?
Answer: We should show empathy and kindness rather than exclude or mistreat them.
What does Margot’s behavior at school suggest about how living on Venus affects her?
Answer: She is unhappy, withdrawn, and deeply misses Earth and the sun.
Why is the setting especially important to the story?
Answer: The constant rain makes sunlight rare and precious, which contributes to the children’s excitement and jealousy of Margot.
How does the mood change from when the children are playing in the sunshine to the end of the story?
Answer: It changes from joyful and excited to guilty, quiet, and ashamed.
If someone is stunned, how are they likely feeling?
Answer: Shocked, surprised, or temporarily unable to react.
How does the children’s treatment of Margot help develop a major theme of the story?
Answer: Their actions show how jealousy and peer pressure can lead people to hurt others and later experience regret.