Vocabulary
Define: realtor
A realtor is a person who helps people buy or sell houses or property.
Why is the protagonist driving nine hours south?
Because her mother passed away last spring. She is driving to a small roadside zoo in South Carolina where there is an African grey parrot that can imitate her mother's voice. She wants to hear her mother's voice again.
Translate into Chinese: “I pull into a rest stop, one of those suspicious gas stations and fast-food combos.”
“我把车开进一个休息站，是那种可疑的加油站和快餐店组合。”
How did the protagonist's mother get Carnie the parrot?
The author's mother got Carnie from a neighbor one month after her father's funeral.
What do the crickets in the basement symbolize?
The crickets symbolize difficulties at home, an unsolvable problem, and the reason the house won't sell. They also represent a stagnant, uncontrollable situation.
Define: exterminator
An exterminator is a person whose job is to kill unwanted insects or animals like crickets, mice, or cockroaches.
Why is the author having trouble selling her house?
Because the basement has a serious humpback cricket infestation. Her realtor said the house will never pass a home inspection.
Translate into Chinese: “I could see a whorl of hair on the crown of his head like a small, stagnant hurricane.”
“我可以看到他头顶上有一圈头发，像一场小小的、停滞的飓风。”
Describe Ike's father. (Give two characteristics)
Ike's father is: a director of the local college theater; a notorious flirt; married (claimed to be separated); sends little money each month; does not want to be involved. (Any two characteristics are acceptable.)
Why does the author say “I want to wrap him in plastic and preserve him”? What theme does this reflect?
This reflects the theme of motherhood and protection. The protagonist wants to freeze time and keep Ike innocent forever. She is afraid of losing his childhood.
Use fancy in a sentence
Example sentence: “People didn't landscape in fancy ways then.”
Where did Carnie come from?
Carnie came from a neighbor. The protagonist's mother adopted him one month after her father's funeral.
Translate into English: “他可以完全复制我母亲的声音。” (Use replicate)
“He could completely replicate my mother's voice.”
What is the relationship between the author and her mother? Provide one piece of evidence.
Their relationship is complicated but still loving. Evidence: The author is driving nine hours to hear her mother's voice again. She hated the parrot, but her mother loved it. Her mother said “Language!” to protect the parrot.
What does the title Housewifely Arts mean? Give two examples from the text.
Housewifely Arts refers to the domestic skills of running a home. Examples: making lunches, changing light bulbs, kissing bruises, killing copperheads, changing sheets, changing car oil, making pie crust, making glue boards to kill crickets. (Any two examples are acceptable.)
Use sanctuary in a sentence
Example sentence: “The bird was sent to a bird sanctuary after the plumber took him.”
Why “wrap him in plastic”? Who is “him”?
“Him” refers to the protagonist's son, Ike. She wants to protect Ike's innocence and happiness forever. She is afraid that he will be bullied when he grows up.
Translate into English: “The firm I work for has offered to transfer me to Connecticut — a state where Ike has a better chance of escaping childhood obesity, God, and conservative political leanings.”
“我所在的那家公司提出要将我调到康涅狄格州去工作——在那个州里，艾克会有更好的机会避免得儿童肥胖症，也能避免受宗教的控制，以及保守的政治倾向影响。”
How does Carnie treat the author's mother? How does he treat the protagonist?
Carnie treats the author's mother with fierce loyalty and protectiveness (he chased the author and bit her). He treats the author with hostility (he savagely bit her wrist and fingers).
What might the image of a “stagnant hurricane” (describing Ike's hair) suggest?
A hurricane should be powerful and moving, but a “stagnant” one cannot move. This might suggest that Ike's potential is temporarily stuck, or the protagonist's fear that he will never grow up.
Use scowl in a sentence
Example sentence:“I scowled in the rearview mirror when Ike kicked the back of the passenger seat.”
What does the protagonist say about Ike's father?
The protagonist says: “I hardly knew Ike's father; he was what I'd call a five-night stand... He sends little money each month, but doesn't want to be involved.” He is a director of the local college theater, a notorious flirt, and claimed to be separated from his wife. Their relationship was brief and not serious.
Translate into English: “我会做派皮，也能用自制的胶板消灭灶马。” (Use exterminate)
“I can make a pie crust and exterminate humpback crickets with a homemade glue board.”
Why does the protagonist say: “It's hard being a single mom, but it's easier than being a miserable wife”?
The protagonist believes that being a single mother is hard, but it is still better than being trapped in an unhappy marriage. She prefers independence and simplicity over a miserable relationship.
What does “voice” symbolize in the story?
“Voice” symbolizes memory, existence, legacy, and a mother's love. The author lost her mother, but through the parrot imitating her mother's voice, she can “hear” her again. The voice becomes a bridge between the living and the dead.