Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the great-grandmother's name?
What is the great-grandmother's name?
Agnes
Who is the narrator?
Who is the narrator?
Angela
What floats to Angela like a soft breeze through an open window?
What floats to Angela like a soft breeze through an open window?
The voice of her great-grandmother, Agnes
What is Bush doing at the beginning of the prologue?
What is Bush doing at the beginning of the prologue?
Why does Agnes think the house is crying?
Why does Agnes think the house is crying?
How does Agnes describe the house in the prologue?
How does Agnes describe the house in the prologue?
What is Bush using to brown the oxtails?
What is Bush using to brown the oxtails?
Where did the oxen arrive from?
Where did the oxen arrive from?
What animals had Bush hunted?
What animals had Bush hunted?
In the dream, where was the narrator fishing?
In the dream, where was the narrator fishing?
Where was the frozen man left standing?
Where was the frozen man left standing?
What is the name of the mother in the dream of the frozen lake?
What is the name of the mother in the dream of the frozen lake?
Which tribe had stories about the frozen heart of evil?
Which tribe had stories about the frozen heart of evil?
What are the three components of the frozen heart of evil?
What are the three components of the frozen heart of evil?
What does the frozen heart of evil trick people into?
What does the frozen heart of evil trick people into?
How do you save a soul from the frozen heart of evil?
How do you save a soul from the frozen heart of evil?
What two ingredients sweeten and fatten the corn into hominy?
What two ingredients sweeten and fatten the corn into hominy?
What did older generations use to pack and heal wounds?
What did older generations use to pack and heal wounds?
What day of the week was the feast?
What day of the week was the feast?
Who wore a miner's headlamp?
Who wore a miner's headlamp?
What is a woman's glory?
What is a woman's glory?
How did the people think of Bush?
How did the people think of Bush?
Who did Bush come to marry?
Who did Bush come to marry?
Why did the people come to the banquet?
Why did the people come to the banquet?
What kind of people lived on Fur Island and returned there each night?
What kind of people lived on Fur Island and returned there each night?
What three items did Agnes say they ate?
What three items did Agnes say they ate?
What color dress did Frenchie wear?
What color dress did Frenchie wear?
Who is Agnes's mother?
Who is Agnes's mother?
Who sent Angela back to her mother?
Who sent Angela back to her mother?
What did Bush do to herself during the banquet?
What did Bush do to herself during the banquet?
What four items of Angela's were given to the diners?
What four items of Angela's were given to the diners?
What else did she give away?
What else did she give away?
Who struggled to open the frozen door when it was time to leave?
Who struggled to open the frozen door when it was time to leave?
What was Bush arrested for?
What was Bush arrested for?
What was the most important thing the diners took away that night?
What was the most important thing the diners took away that night?
What is singing at the end of the prologue?
What is singing at the end of the prologue?
How does Agnes remember the sky looking when she walked home after the banquet?
How does Agnes remember the sky looking when she walked home after the banquet?
At what age did Angela return to Adam's Rib?
At what age did Angela return to Adam's Rib?
Which ferry did Angela take to return to Adam's Rib?
Which ferry did Angela take to return to Adam's Rib?
Which trappers emptied the land of beaver and fox?
Which trappers emptied the land of beaver and fox?
Tons of fur was traded at which post?
Tons of fur was traded at which post?
Besides the French, which other nationalities passed through this north?
Besides the French, which other nationalities passed through this north?
Where did the old men who Bush took Hannah Wing to live?
Where did the old men who Bush took Hannah Wing to live?
What do the old people call Fur Island?
What do the old people call Fur Island?
Who is the woman in the canoe?
Who is the woman in the canoe?
Who is Angela going to meet?
Who is Angela going to meet?
What is Angela's last name?
What is Angela's last name?
How are Angela and Agnes related?
How are Angela and Agnes related?
How much money did Agnes send Angela?
How much money did Agnes send Angela?
What did the first sign Angela saw read?
What did the first sign Angela saw read?
How many bags of belongings did Angela have?
How many bags of belongings did Angela have?
What is the name of the road they traveled to get to Agnes's house?
What is the name of the road they traveled to get to Agnes's house?
What rained along that road when the French were there?
What rained along that road when the French were there?
Who originally built the weary houses on Poison Road?
Who originally built the weary houses on Poison Road?
What month is it during the first chapter?
What month is it during the first chapter?
What holds Agnes's glasses together?
What holds Agnes's glasses together?
What kind of brooch does Agnes wear?
What kind of brooch does Agnes wear?
What is wrong with the right side of Angela's face?
What is wrong with the right side of Angela's face?
What does Angela carry in her purse?
What does Angela carry in her purse?
Where did Angela grow up?
Where did Angela grow up?
Why does Angela carry the baby picture?
Why does Angela carry the baby picture?
Which foster home was Angela's favorite?
Which foster home was Angela's favorite?
Whose initials are tattooed on Angela's left arm?
Whose initials are tattooed on Angela's left arm?
What is tattooed on one of Angela's knuckles?
What is tattooed on one of Angela's knuckles?
What is tattooed on Angela's thigh?
What is tattooed on Angela's thigh?
Which two things shaped and moved Angela?
Which two things shaped and moved Angela?
What color is the room of anger?
What color is the room of anger?
What did Angela tell herself she would not do before arriving at Adam's Rib?
What did Angela tell herself she would not do before arriving at Adam's Rib?
What sits outside Agnes's front door?
What sits outside Agnes's front door?
What did the first women at Adam's Rib call themselves?
What did the first women at Adam's Rib call themselves?
Which tribes do the Abandoned Ones represent?
Which tribes do the Abandoned Ones represent?
What is the name of the taxidermist?
What is the name of the taxidermist?
Where did LaRue Marks Time live?
Where did LaRue Marks Time live?
Where did Rue recently return from?
Where did Rue recently return from?
What massacre is referenced in chapter one?
What massacre is referenced in chapter one?
What do some people say the older inhabitants are keeping?
What do some people say the older inhabitants are keeping?
Who rubs ice on his face and has a young wife?
Who rubs ice on his face and has a young wife?
Who fished and hunted to provide for the elders?
Who fished and hunted to provide for the elders?
How many languages does Tommy Grove speak?
How many languages does Tommy Grove speak?
What year is it?
What year is it?
What are chilblains?
What are chilblains?
How is Dora-Rouge related to Angela?
How is Dora-Rouge related to Angela?
What features does Angela have that make her resemble her mother?
What features does Angela have that make her resemble her mother?
Who is Dora-Rouge's gone husband?
Who is Dora-Rouge's gone husband?
What animal is used as a comparison for Dora-Rouge's nose?
What animal is used as a comparison for Dora-Rouge's nose?
What name has Dora-Rouge for Angela?
What name has Dora-Rouge for Angela?
What items are on Dora-Rouge's table?
What items are on Dora-Rouge's table?
What does Dora-Rouge hate?
What does Dora-Rouge hate?
Why is the bathroom sink stained red?
Why is the bathroom sink stained red?
What is all that Angela has from her mother?
What is all that Angela has from her mother?
What year was Hannah Wing born?
What year was Hannah Wing born?
What does John Husk bring in that evening?
What does John Husk bring in that evening?
How tall is John Husk?
How tall is John Husk?
How many winters did John Husk spend in the near-Arctic north?
How many winters did John Husk spend in the near-Arctic north?
What was John Husk's main desire?
What was John Husk's main desire?
What is Dora-Rouge's desire?
What is Dora-Rouge's desire?
Where did Angela live for most of her life?
Where did Angela live for most of her life?
Why does John Husk squint?
Why does John Husk squint?
When does Agnes believe Angela's story begins?
When does Agnes believe Angela's story begins?
What allusion to the Bible is made in chapter one?
What allusion to the Bible is made in chapter one?
Study Notes
Key Characters
- Angela is the narrator of the story.
- Agnes is Angela's great-grandmother, providing a voice that resonates with Angela.
- Bush is a character involved in gathering firewood and preparing meals, including oxtails.
- Hannah Wing is featured in a dream experienced by Angela and is significant to the frozen lake narrative.
Significant Themes
- The Frozen Heart of Evil is represented by hunger, envy, and greed, impacting individuals with death, illness, and insanity.
- Indigenous Elements: The Cree tribe contributes stories about the frozen heart, illustrating cultural beliefs about evil and its consequences.
Important Events and Symbols
- A banquet is held, bringing together the community in mourning.
- Angela’s return: She returns to Adam's Rib at age seventeen, symbolizing a reconnection with her past.
- Bush’s actions during the banquet reveal themes of sacrifice as she cuts her hair and gives away personal belongings.
Cultural References and Settings
- Fur Island is known as "the navel of the world" by the old people, highlighting its cultural significance.
- The year is 1972, setting the time frame for the narrative.
- The mention of Wounded Knee reflects historical injustices faced by Native American tribes.
Character Connections
- Dora-Rouge is Angela's great-great-grandmother, underlining a lineage of women with strong identities.
- Angela’s scars symbolize her difficult upbringing in foster homes, particularly in relation to her mother.
Key Objects and Symbols
- Agnes's bear coat symbolizes heritage and connection to family, “singing” at the end of the prologue.
- A large, red-covered chair sits outside Agnes’s front door, representing home and stability.
- Angela’s carry items like a baby picture, which she uses to cope with her past.
Descriptions and Settings
- The house is characterized as wooden, dark, and having creaky floors, indicating a stark and haunting atmosphere.
- Poison Road leads to Agnes's house, adding a layer of foreboding and history associated with the travel route.
Personal Traits and Changes
- Angela has facial scars and various tattoos, marking her past experiences and emotional struggles.
- LaRue Marks Time is a taxidermist involved in the community, representing a link to tradition and survival.
Food and Rituals
- Food is an integral part of the community's identity, with items like moose meat, rice, and fish being staples.
- Chilblains is a term used by Agnes, emphasizing the harshness of their living conditions and constant cold.
Evolution of Characters
- John Husk, a key figure, demonstrates resilience and curiosity, having faced snow blindness and spending winters in the near-Arctic.
- Tommy Grove contributes to the nourishment of the elders, showing community and responsibility towards older generations.
Miscellaneous
- Reference to Genesis connects the story to biblical themes of creation and moral lessons, reflecting deeper meanings within the narrative.
- Characters carry personal burdens, like Bush’s arrest for theft, intertwining their fates with natural and societal challenges.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge of the prologue and first chapter of 'Solar Storms'. This quiz features flashcards that cover key characters, plot points, and important themes. Perfect for anyone studying the book.
