CHAPTER 9
Where are Raspberry,
Ja’nae and Mai at the
beginning of chapter 9?
Raspberry, Ja’nae, and Mai are at
school.
How much money did
Ja’nae take from her
grandfather?
She took $200.
Is cleaning Miss Neeta’s
house going to be a big
job?
Yes, cleaning Miss Neeta’s house is
going to be a big job. We know this
when Raspberry says, “As soon as
we walk into Miss Neeta’s place, I
know Ja’nae and me got a lot of
work ahead of us. Miss Netta is a
pack rat. She never throws nothing
out.”
What has Ja’nae
brought for Miss Neeta?
A flower
How does Miss Neeta
feel about throwing
things away?
Miss Neeta says she never throws
anything away.
Define: Custom
Custom noun‐ a tradition; something that people always do in a certain way.
Define: Knucklehead
Knucklehead‐ noun‐a slang insult; a type of insult usually having to do with
lack of intelligence
DEFINE: Lecture
Lecture: a stern, educational talk
Define: Pack Rat
Pack Rat ‐noun‐ a person who saves unnecessary objects
Security Deposit
Security Deposit: a sum of money given to a landlord to cover the cost of any damage done to the property by the tenant
What does Ming wear
that he received as a gift
from his father?
A gold ring on a chain around his
neck.
What did Ja’nae’s
grandfather’s money get
spent on?
The money was spent to buy
Ming a new leather coat.
How does Raspberry
feel about cleaning Miss
Neeta’s house after she
steps inside? How do
you know this?
Raspberry feels overwhelmed
about having to clean Miss Neeta’s
house. We know this because after
describing the house, she says she
wants to cry because there is so
much work. She also says she
wishes Ja’nae’s grandmother was
there to help.
How does Raspberry
justify taking the money
from Ja’nae?
Raspberry justifies her actions by
telling herself that it is okay
because the money is hers and
Ja’nae is just too selfish to give it to
her.
What motivated
Raspberry to steal the
money?
Raspberry was motivated to steal
the money because of her fear of
being homeless again.
Mai, like Ming, also has
a ring that was a gift
from her father. Where
does she keep her ring?
Mai keeps the ring in a junk
drawer.
Why does Raspberry dislike being dropped off by Ja'nae's grandfather?
Raspberry dislike being driven home by Janae's grandfather because he always complains and how dangerous her neighborhood is.
How do we know that
Ja’nae’s grandmother
knew that Miss Neeta’s
house would be a big
job for the girls?
Ja’nae’s grandmother knew this
would be a big job for the girls
because she gave them rubber
gloves, a bucket, broom, and an
extra –large box of soap powder.
She also tells them that they can
have more soap if they need it.
The detail of giving them an extra
large box of soap powder shows
that she thinks it will take a lot to
clean the place up.
Raspberry remembers
Ja’nae’s grandmother
taking care of her and
her mother; how does
this memory make
Raspberry feel?
This memory makes Raspberry feel
guilty. She feels guilty because
Ja’nae’s grandmother was kind to
her and her mother when they
needed to help, and now,
Raspberry has been the opposite of
kind to her, and stolen from her.
How does Raspberry
restore our faith in her
as an honest character?
Our faith in Raspberry as an honest
character is restored when she
returns the money to Ja’nae,
despite knowing that Ja’nae may
never repay her.
How has the relationship between Sato and Raspberry change since the beginning of the book?
The relationship between Sato and Raspberry changes in this chapter when he offers to walk Raspberry home. This is the first time he is kind to her.
How would you
characterize Raspberry
after she loan’s Ja’nae the $200? Why?
Raspberry could be characterized
as sympathetic, protective,
and/or caring. Because we know
that she will not even spend
money on herself, the gesture of
loaning Ja’nae the money to save
her from her grandfather shows
her as sympathetic and
protective.
What mood is
established when
Raspberry uses the
following example of
hyperbole, “A thousand
pieces of used foil are
sitting on top of her
television.”
Even though there really aren’t a
thousand pieces of foil on top of
the television, the exaggeration
creates an overwhelming or
helpless mood. The thought of
having to clean up so much foil,
along with the rest of the house,
makes the task seem impossible.
What do you think
Raspberry’s dream is
symbolic of?
Raspberry’s dream is symbolic of
her fear of being homeless again. It
is also specified in the dream that
she has money, but it unable to use
it. This detail is symbolic of her
insecurities. She feels that even if
she has money, she will still not be
good enough, and will still be poor.
What does Ja’nae
reinforce about
Raspberry when she
says, “You could never
do nothing really
wrong”?
Ja’nae reinforces that Raspberry is
a trustworthy friend, and a good
person. By saying that she could
never do anything really wrong, it
shows that Ja’nae believes that
Raspberry has good intentions and
would never intentionally hurt
someone.