Koly
What did Koly and Maa prepare for Koly's wedding?
A dowry, silver earrings, wedding sari, quilt, & money
Explain why Koly never received her widow's pension while living with Sass?
Sass stole Koly's widow pension for Chandra's wedding dowry.
What was the job that Koly couldn't seem to do when she was living in Vrindavan?
The widow chanting at the temple.
How did Mrs. Devi become wealthy?
Her father left her the money.
What is a rupee?
What was Mala's secret that Koly found out about?
Mala stole the wedding veil from Mr. Das' shop.
What was the motive (reason) for Koly and Hari's marriage?
Hari was sick and needed money from Koly's dowry for the trip to Varanasi.
What did Raji build for Koly at his house? What will she use it for?
A room for her to do her embroidery that Mr. Das sends her to work on.
Where did Sass abandon Koly and why?
Sass abandoned Koly in Vrindavan because Koly was no longer useful to her.
Promising success
What kind of work was Koly really good at doing?
embroidery
When Sass finally allows Koly to sit with Hari, what do they do?
They talk about what makes them happy; Koly's home & Hari's bugs.
Who are the 3 6th grade English teachers?
Mrs. Coggeshall, Mr. Bruns, Ms. Johnson
Who does Koly marry at the end of the book and what job did he have in the city?
She marries Raji and he drove a rickshaw in the city.
What is a sari?
A long cloth used to wrap around a body, Indian women wore them.
What importance does the stray dog & bandicoot have for Koly?
When Koly felt abandoned by everyone, they were her only friends.
Sass gave her her widow sari and kept her widow pension so she would have money for Chandra's dowry. When Chandra was married, Sass had no need for Koly. She dropped her off in Vrindavan.
What is the traditional funeral custom in India?
A body is placed on funeral pyre (wood for burning). The body is covered with marigolds and cremated.
What were the kind things that Mr. Das did for Koly?
He hired her to work for him, he continued to give Koly work when she moved with Raji, he encouraged her to continue her passion.
What is a dowry?
Money or goods a wife brings her husband at marriage.
What were 3 jobs Koly had during the book?
Stringing marigolds with Tanu, making glass bangles, stitching saris for Mr. Das
What was the name of the book that Sassur gave Koly & why was it important to Koly?
The book was Tagore's poems; it was important because she learned to read from it and it reminded her of Sassur.
What is a widow and what do widows traditionally wear in India?
A widow is a woman whose husband died. They traditionally wear a white sari.
Koly plans to embroider a sari for Mrs. Devi. why does she choose a homeless bird?
Koly felt homeless since she left her home. After Hari died, she felt all alone. She finally found a home with the help of Mrs. Devi, Mr. Das, and Raji.
What is the definition of caste?
A social division that has its own privileges and limitations