1.The Ordinary World
Where did Casiopea grow up?
She grew up in an ordinary, small town called Uukumil, as seen on page 3 which states "She was eighteen, penniless, and had grown up in Uukumil..."
What do the bones form into? Then where is she forced to go afterwards?
The bones form themselves into the shape of a man (it is revealed to be the lord of Xibalba), then he enlists her help to regain the lost body parts. he leverages the fact that the bone embedded in her is acting as a parasite to convince her to go. "You stand before the Supreme Lord of Xibalba" (Moreno-Garcia 22) "Fetch me clothes; we will journey to the white city" (Moreno-Garcia 23) "Every moment that passes, that nourishment, that life, flows out of you and into me." (Moreno-Garcia 24)
Why do Casiopea/Hun-Kame seek out Juan? What trouble does he cause them?
They seek him out to regain Hun-Kame's missing ear. Juan tries to use his abilities to fight off Hun-Kame and repeatedly tries to seduce Casiopea. "Treacherous? I?...For keeping my ear, you dog." (Moreno-Garcia 89) " He unleashed another gust of wind, stronger than before," (Moreno-Garcia 90)
What was given to Casiopea as a gift from Hun-Kame
She was given a bag of black pearls, the ability to speak with the ghosts of Middle world, the ability to speak all languages, and resurrects her after her sacrifice. "...the power to speak all tongues...the gift of conversing with the ghosts that roam middle world." (Moreno-Garcia 326) "Casiopea opened it and found it was full of black pearls." (Moreno-Garcia 331)
How did Casiopea leave Xibalba after finishing her journey?
Hun-Kame used his magic to transport her to Tierra Blanca. "The he took Casiopea's hand again and wrapped her in his cloak for a second... within another second she had slipped into her hotel room. Alone." (Moreno-Garcia 326)
Why is Casiopea bitter and resentful of staying in Uukumil?
She lives in Uukumil as a servant, where she is mistreated by the family there (Primarily Martin) as seen on 17 which states " Martin yanked her to her feet, and instead of trying to evade the blow he would surely deliver, she stared at him without blinking." which tells us she has been beaten before on a somewhat frequent basis.
Did Casiopea have doubts about going on the journey?
Yes, in two instances she can be seen having doubts, once when her help was conscripted "Pardon me, I do not see why I should go" (Moreno-Garcia 23) and the second when she was on the train out of Uukumil "She thought she might escape, that it would be entirely possible to jump off the tram and run back" (Moreno-Garcia 26)
Who do Casiopea and Hun-Kame seek out next? What do they retrieve from them? How do they attempt to stop Hun-Kame/Casiopea.
They seek out Xtabay, a demoness who has Hun-Kame's finger. Xtabay tries to use magic to distract/seduce Hun-kame. "Each word the women spoke made Hun-kame drowsier...placing her hands on his chest." (Moreno-Garcia 155) "Cushioned in black velvet rested the finger." (Moreno-Garcia 157)
What did Hun-kame lose?
He lost his heart and his love for her. "His heart was grinding to dust beneath the palm of his hand, and it hurt to see this, but she did not look away." (Moreno-Garcia 325)
How did Casiopea show her renewal/rebirth after the quest?
She finally came to peace with Martin, not forgiving him but replacing the resentment inside of her by saying goodbye and leaving him. "So long, Martin." (Moreno-Garcia 329)
Why was Casiopea barred from joining the trip to the cenote?
She was being punished for talking back to Mertin and disrespecting him, in which she said "...I will be someone worthy of respect, just like him. And you will never be that, Martin, no matter how many coats of polish you apply to yourself." (Moreno-Garcia 17)
Who does Casiopea and Hun-Kame meet to help with their journey?
They meet Loray, a demon who gives the location of his missing ear and secures a boat to transport them. "I know where you can find your missing ear. but that is all." (Moreno-Garcia 38) "There is a vessel departing from Progreso this evening. It is fast. You'll reach Veracruz in a couple of days." (Moreno-Garcia 46)
Who is the final person Hun-Kame/Casiopea seek out? What do they have of Hun-Kame's and what must Casiopea and Hun-Kame do to retrieve it?
They seek out the Uay Chivo in El Paso. He owns the necklace, and they must kill him to retrieve it. "Hun-kame sliced a swift arc through the air, cutting, almost completely severing, the animal's neck." (Moreno-Garcia 222) "Hun-Kame placed the necklace around his neck and turned to her." (Moreno-Garcia 223)
What was Hun-Kames final parting gift in Xibalba?
He bloomed flowers inside Xibalba to express his love for her. "There were no flowers in Xibalba...Yet now flowers bloomed in the most astonishing of places, across the gray desert." (Moreno-Garcia 326)
What does Casiopea retain with her to remember Hun-Kame by?
She is gifted black pearls form Hun-Kame, signifying the relationship they forged along the way." Casiopea opened it and found it was full of black pearls." (Moreno-Garcia 331)
What does Casiopea find in her grandfather's room?
She finds a key to a large, mysterious box at the base of his bed. "Something metallic rattled and slid off the vanity. With a sigh she rose and picked it up. It was grandfather's key, which he normally wore around his neck." (Moreno-Garcia 19-20)
Where does Casiopea finally become truly invested into the journey?
She becomes invested after meeting Loray and once she embarks on the boat to find Hun-Kame's ear, as this is the first step in their journey to regain the throne. "Loray had obtained for them passage on a fast, reliable vessel that was headed to Veracruz...." (Moreno-Garcia 57)
What does Casiopea dream which signifies she is reaching the climax of her story?
She sees Martin killing her and Vucub-Kame winning the throne over Hun-Kame. "She saw her dead by a lake...Martin plunging a knife into her side...Vucub-kame sat on his obsidian throne...triumphant." (Moreno-Garcia 261)
With the journey over, what does Casiopea do with the new skills/adventures she discovered?
She begins to travel the world with Loray, not looking back to Uukumil..." Going home was out of the question. She wanted to remain in motion." (Moreno-Garcia 332)
What does Casiopea find in the box? What happens to the bones after?
She finds unusually white bones inside the box. "Not gold but bones. Very white bones." (Moreno-Garcia 21) The bones then embed themselves into Casiopea and form into a man. "In the blink of an eye all the bines clicked into place, like pieces in a puzzle." (Moreno-Garcia 21)
What must Casiopea do to triumph over Vucub-Kame?
She must win a race across Xibalba against Martin. In which she encounters dangers such as Kamazotz. "Whoever walks the Black road and reaches the World Tree in the heart of Xibalba wins." (Moreno-Garcia 268) "Kamazotz, who is the death bat...there was no way to avoid the creature." (Moreno-Garcia 297)