Literary Devices
How does Harry feel in paragraph 15 about living on Mars?
Harry feels he doesn't belong on Mars and is unhappy.
What is the story's setting?
Mars
What happens on Earth while Harry and his family are on Mars?
There is a war on earth and It is destroyed by an atom bomb.
What word means, Completely covered with a liquid?
Submerged
What simile is used in paragraph 15 to describe Harry's feelings?
"I feel like a crystal in a mountain stream, being washed away."
What is the climax of the story?
When Harry finds out that all rockets on earth have been destroyed.
What subtle changes occur on Mars?
Roses turn green, Harry's cow grows a third horn, and the lawn seeds sprout purple instead of green.
What word means, Abandoned or deserted?
Forlorn
Why are Harry's thoughts expressed in incomplete sentences and with a lot of repetition in paragraph 34?
To speed the action and add to the tension and fear that Harry is feeling.
What idea about Mars does the use of descriptive language suggest in paragraph 41?
The strange beauty and intense climate of Mars.
What physical changes happen to the Bittering family?
Their skin becomes dark and their eyes become yellow.
What word means, artificial waterways for transportation or irrigation?
Canals
How does the descriptive language in paragraph 41 build suspense?
It emphasizes the destruction that has taken place on Earth and how cut off from Mars the people from Earth are.
Name all of the Bittering family
Harry, his wife Cora; Dan, Laura, and David
Why does the author have Harry begin speaking Martian at this point in the story (in paragraph 135)?
The author wants to show Harry's character changing.
What word means, very large?
Immense
How does the dialogue in paragraphs 54-58 highlight Harry's fear of being on Mars?
He realizes the plants are changing and Harry begins to panic whereas Cora remains calm and unaware of the changes, which only adds to Harry's anxiety.
What is the turning point that is suggested in paragraphs 179-181?
Harry's son begins to speak martian, this becomes a turning point because because it suggests that his son is becoming a martian, and more changes are on their way.
Why are the words autumn and work repeated in paragraphs 213-222?
The words are repeated to show that Harry is going through a conflict about the importance of the work he is doing and begins to feel less and less committed to his work.
What word means, made of many small pieces of colored glass or stone?
Mosiac