General Trivia
How old was Inès' son when he was killed?
What key symbol signifies death and bad luck in this short story?
Mangoes!
What is so coincidental about the schoolteacher's son's death?
Riad Halabí entered town the same night the boy was shot and killed.
What are the three main authorial choices presented in the main passage selected?
1. Allusion
2. Dialogue
3. Foreshadowing
What is Riad Halabí's occupation?
He is a merchant who operates his store, The Pearl of the Orient
What does Riad Halabí symbolize?
Comfort and support
True or False: The murderer was aiming to kill
False! He never meant to kill the boy, only to scare him off of his property
What is one potential reason Halabí says "May Allah protect us?" ?
This authorial choice impies that he could be afraid of God's wrath, knowing that sins such as Inès' crime are forbidden by Islam and go against his faith's morals.
When does this story most likely take place? How do you know?
The mid-late 1990s - The story mentions Riad's falsified passport and trucks (both were common in the 90s, especially falsified passports due to crises in one's home country)
Most likely between May and October: mid summer/mango season
What is one main recurring motif in this short story? Explain why this is important to the plot.
Inès' authority - if she hadn't had this power and influence, the she would most likely have been caught for her crime (which would have changed the course of the story entirely).
Why does it seem unrealistic that Inès' authority was mightier than everyone else's?
It creates the feeling as though one is living in a world very different to our own, where women are dominant over men (theoretically possible, but very unlikely because this town is implied as a male-dominant society, i.e. police, doctor, priest).
Why are Inès and Halabí exchanging rapid dialogue after the Inès' murder instead of the information being summarized? What effect does it have on the reader, and how does it support the theme?
The rapid dialogue supports the tension of the aftermath of Inès' crime, where Inès true feelings for justice for her son are revealed, and how Halabí is worried over how he will assist Inès because her actions goes against his morals.