The River
Who is the narrator of the novel?
Dana
What has Rufus done to call Dana to him?
Rufus lit the curtains in his room on fire.
How do Dana and Kevin meet?
At the warehouse where they work through a labor agency
Why is Isaac beating Rufus when Dana arrives in the past?
Rufus raped Alice, who is now Isaac's wife.
How does Tom Weylin die?
He has a heart attack
What is Dana doing with her husband, Kevin, when she travels to the past for the first time?
Unpacking their belongings in their new home in Altadena, California
What is the name of Dana's ancestor who will be Rufus's child?
Hagar Weylin
Who is with Rufus when he falls from the tree and breaks his leg?
Nigel
Where is Margaret in this chapter?
Living in Baltimore with her sister
Who is Sam?
Sam is a slave on the Weylin Plantation that expresses interest in Dana. Rufus sells him because of this interest.
Who does Dana save from drowning and how does she do it?
She saves Rufus by giving him CPR.
Who are the men that assault Alice's mother and father, and later Dana?
Patrollers
Why did Tom Weylin sell all of Sarah's children?
Margaret wanted new fancy furniture and China dishes.
What does Dana have to convince Alice to do?
Dana convinces Alice to become Rufus's lover, even though she does not want to.
What event calls Dana to the past in "The Rope"?
Alice's suicide
What causes Dana to go back home after she saves Rufus?
Why does Dana say it was illegal in some states for slaves to learn how to read and write?
They could escape buy writing themselves passes or freedom papers
What causes Dana to get sent back to the present without Kevin?
Weylin whips her after catching her teaching Nigel to read and write
What happened to the two letters that Dana wrote to Kevin, who has traveled North?
Alice finds them and it is revealed that Rufus never sent them because he did not want Dana to leave
What did Rufus do with his and Alice's children?
He sent them to stay in Baltimore with his aunt, but he tells Alice that he sold them as a way to punish her for running away.
What is the EXACT date that Dana travels to the past for the first time?
June 9th, 1976
What year in the past does Dana travel to in this chapter?
1815
What does Kevin show to Rufus to prove to him that they come from the future?
A bicentennial quarter
What figure in history does Butler model Sarah after?
The Mammy Caricature
What happens between Dana and Rufus at the end of the novel?
Rufus attempts to rape Dana and she stabs and kills him.