Noel
What are the rules of the “rent-a-child” business mentioned by Mrs. Overton?
The rental agreement is for 48 hours. The child must be returned by noon on the day after Christmas. If they are late, there is a fee of ten dollars per hour and the insurance deposit is lost.
Why does Lucia go to the bakery every Saturday?
Lucia goes to the bakery every Saturday to buy the same white cake with chocolate frosting. It was her husband Nico’s favorite, and buying it is a weekly ritual that helps her remember him and their life together.
Where does the protagonist’s mother find her wedding dress, and what kind of store is it?
The mother finds the wedding dress in a warehouse store in Scottsboro, Alabama. The store sells items that people leave behind on airplanes.
What do the grandmother’s grandchildren (mokopuna) do to make her happy, and what promise do they make?
The mokopuna place large stones from the river bed on her daily track. To please them, the grandmother walks around the stones despite her bad leg. They promise to “have your leg all better soon.”
Why are most of the girls and younger children chosen, while the two older boys are not?
Most customers prefer younger children who look cute and innocent, with features like curls, dimples, or missing teeth. The two older boys have “a pubescent mustache,” which makes them look less like little children and therefore less desirable to the customers.
What does Maria offer Lucia in exchange for the cake, and how does Lucia respond?
Maria offers Lucia ten dollars, then twenty dollars, to buy the cake. Lucia refuses the money, throws the bill on the floor, and leaves with the cake.
What promises does the protagonist make to God to save her dying mother?
The protagonist promises to name any son Benjamin (after her mother’s father) and any daughter Iris (in her mother’s memory). She also vows to be a “better daughter” if given another chance to save her mother.
Why does the grandmother’s daughter ask her to knead bread every morning?
The daughter asks her to knead bread to exercise her lame hand, hoping to “get the lame hand strong once more.” She is sad to see her mother hobble with a disabled side and wants to help her recover.
How does Mrs. Hathaway show kindness toward the two unchosen boys?
Mrs. Hathaway brings the two boys downstairs even though Mrs. Overton told her not to. She says, “It did no harm to give them at least a chance.” This shows she feels compassion for them and hopes someone might choose them.
Why does Lucia insist on speaking Italian with Lorenzo instead of English?
Lucia insists on speaking Italian because it connects her to her heritage and her past. She feels that Lorenzo, by speaking English and helping Maria, is forgetting his Italian roots and siding with the new Puerto Rican neighbors she distrusts.
What truth does the protagonist hide from her dying mother, and why?
The protagonist hides that she has been dating women and deeply loves an artist who designs jewelry from bottle glass. She keeps this secret because her mother is dying and weeping about never being a grandmother—she believes the confession would only add pain to her mother’s final moments.
What reason does the son-in-law give for deciding to stay in the hometown instead of moving to the city?
The son-in-law says, “This wife of mine and these children would fret away in the town without their old lady.” He cannot bear to leave the grandmother alone, so he chooses to stay if she refuses to move.
What does the story suggest about why people rent children for Christmas?
The story suggests that the customers are lonely, especially during Christmas. They may not have family or children of their own, so they rent a child to temporarily feel the joy and warmth of a family holiday, even if it is not real.
What does the cake represent to Lucia, beyond just a dessert?
The cake represents memory, tradition, and loyalty to her late husband Nico. It is also a symbol of her identity as an Italian widow in a neighborhood that is changing. Giving it away would feel like losing a part of Nico and her own history.
What details describe the wedding dress, and what do these details suggest about it?
The dress has an old-fashioned bodice “rigid with whale bone but lush with beadwork,” and organza sleeves “light and thin as Bible paper.” It is a designer gown abandoned by another woman, suggesting it is beautiful but inauthentic—just like the protagonist’s upcoming marriage.
Why does the Maori grandmother refuse to leave her hometown and move to the city with her family?
The grandmother insists, “Here is the place where I was born and here is where I die.” She has a deep spiritual bond with the ancestral land, and the city feels foreign to her—she believes her true home is where she was born and raised.
The story ends with snow falling outside. How might the weather reflect the mood or theme of the story?
The snow at the end symbolizes coldness, loneliness, and the end of hope. Inside, the business is closed and two boys are left unwanted. Outside, the snow covers everything, just as the system of renting children covers real loneliness with a temporary, cold transaction.
At the end of the story, Lucia sits alone looking at family photos. What does this tell us about her life now and the changes in her neighborhood?
This ending shows that Lucia is lonely and stuck in the past. Her children no longer visit her, and she feels disconnected from the changing neighborhood. The photos remind her of a time when she was surrounded by family, but now she only has her rituals and memories to keep her company.
Do you think the protagonist regret trading her own life for her mother’s？Why? Include details from the original text to support your answer.
The protagonist does not openly admit regret, but subtle signs reveal suppressed inner conflict.
She feels "apprehensive" about her wedding—her home is mortgaged, engagement ring pawned, and dress "ditched," reflecting dissatisfaction with her inauthentic life. To save her dying mother, she hid her sexual orientation and love for a female artist, sacrificing her true identity. Her self-reproach—"How dare you regret trading your own life for hers?"—betrays the existence of regret she forces down. The "abandoned gown" with a "rigid whale bone" bodice symbolizes her constrained, sacrificed authenticity.
While deep filial love makes her reject open regret, her unease, abandoned desires, and self-admonition all prove hidden remorse for giving up her true happiness.
What does the “land” symbolize in the story, and how does it support the grandmother?
The land symbolizes the Maori people’s cultural roots, ancestral heritage, and life force. The grandmother says, “from the land, the woman—these ones have sprung. And by the land and by the woman held and strengthened.” It is her source of strength as her health fades, connecting her to her family and identity.