Setting
What is the major feature of the setting?
the rain
"The children pressed together like so many roses, so many weeds, peering out for a look at the hidden sun."
What type of figurative language is it?
a simile
How do the children feel about Margot? Why?
They are jealous or dislike her because she is different from them. (different experiences)
How long does it rain on planet Venus before stopping?
7 years
"She was a frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair."
Which sense is being described? (imagery)
sight
How is Margot different from the other children?
Her life experiences are different. She has experienced the sun many times on Earth and the other children have not.
How often does the sun come out? For how long?
Every seven years for about two hours
"She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away."
What type of figurative language is it?
a metaphor
How has living on Venus affected Margot physically and emotionally?
She is suffering because she is weak and pale. She is also sad and depressed because she never gets to see the sun.
"It had been raining for 7 years; thousands upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands."
What does this quote mean? What does it show us about the setting?
It shows us that it rains all the time. It also shows us that sometimes the rain is light and sometimes it is heavy, like a storm.
"With the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands."
What sense is being described? (imagery)
sound or hearing
What is Margot's reaction when she has to take a shower? Why does she act this way?
She refuses to take one, clutching her head and screaming that the water shouldn't touch it. She reacts this way because she always feels the rain. She doesn't want to be reminded of it.
What mood does this setting create?
a sad, somber, depressing, or gloomy mood
'I think the sun is a flower
That blooms for just one hour.'
What type of figurative language is it?
a metaphor
If you were in Margot's situation, how would you feel about living on Venus with these conditions? Why?
Answers vary.