History
Why was it against the law for slaves to learn how to read and write?
They might escape by writing themselves passes.
How did Dana help Rufus the first time?
She saved him from drowning.
When and where is she?
Maryland, 1815
What did he set on fire?
Draperies.
Who explains to Alice where she is?
Rufus.
What does "Paperless blacks were fair game to any white" mean?
During the time of you saw a black and they did not have their papers, you could enslave them.
How does Dana help Rufus the second time?
He saves him from burning down the house.
What is the name of the time period that she is in?
Antebellum South
Why did Rufus start a fire?
To get revenge on his father.
What was Dana's reaction to the whipping she witnessed in the woods?
She was scared, surprised, and traumatized.
When Kevin suggests that Dana had "already seen the Bible. You knew about those people-- knew their names, knew they were Marylanders, knew..." What does this mean?
He thought that she had "dreamt" some of what happened and she was getting the information for her dream from the Bible that was written on.
Why does Rufus remark on Dana's pants?
Women wearing pants in this time period isn't normal.
Why does Dana time travel?
Rufus can somehow make her time travel to his past whenever he is scared or his life is in danger.
Where is Dana trying to go to after she left the plantation?
To Alice.
How does her husband help her?
He comforts her and prepares her a bag for the next time she travels back to the past.
What are patrols or patrollers?
They were groups of young whites that "maintained order" among the slaves.
Why doesn't Rufus seem to understand when Dana said that she is a black woman?
They did not use the term "black" in Rufus's time period.
What happened that led her back home the second time?
She knocked out a patroller that she feared would kill her when he woke up. She got so scared for her life that she was sent back home.
What is Rufus to Dana?
Several times great grandfather.
Why did the father almost shoot Dana when she rescued Rufus from drowning?
He thought that she was a man trying to hurt the mother and Rufus.
what did patrollers develop into later in history?
These patrols later became the Klu Klux Klan.
How did Dana view Rufus based on how his father treated him and why he wanted to burn down the house?
She noticed that the boy already knew about revenge more than her, wondered what kind of man he would grow up as because his father, and thought that the boy would find himself in prison someday.
Does Kevin believe Dana when she came back for the second time? Why?
Because of her cuts and bruises.
(answers may vary)
Who is Alice to Dana?
Her several times great grandmother.
What happens when Dana leaves to get the blanket outside?
She is attacked by a white patroller.