Solar Storms Prologue-Chapter 1 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the great-grandmother's name?

Agnes

Who is the narrator?

Angela

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?

Gathering firewood and adding it to the stove Signup and view all the answers

Why does Agnes think the house is crying?

There is condensation because it is cold outside and warm inside. Signup and view all the answers

How does Agnes describe the house in the prologue?

Wooden, dark, spare, creaky floors Signup and view all the answers

What is Bush using to brown the oxtails?

Suet Signup and view all the answers

Where did the oxen arrive from?

Flat fields of Kansas Signup and view all the answers

What animals had Bush hunted?

Fish and rabbits Signup and view all the answers

In the dream, where was the narrator fishing?

Lake Grand Signup and view all the answers

Where was the frozen man left standing?

The back of the Spirit River Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the mother in the dream of the frozen lake?

Hannah Wing Signup and view all the answers

Which tribe had stories about the frozen heart of evil?

The Cree Signup and view all the answers

What are the three components of the frozen heart of evil?

Hunger, envy, greed Signup and view all the answers

What does the frozen heart of evil trick people into?

Death, illness, insanity Signup and view all the answers

How do you save a soul from the frozen heart of evil?

Thaw it Signup and view all the answers

What two ingredients sweeten and fatten the corn into hominy?

Lye and ashes Signup and view all the answers

What did older generations use to pack and heal wounds?

Eagle down Signup and view all the answers

What day of the week was the feast?

Sunday Signup and view all the answers

Who wore a miner's headlamp?

Jarrell Illinois Signup and view all the answers

What is a woman's glory?

Her hair Signup and view all the answers

How did the people think of Bush?

As a misplaced person Signup and view all the answers

Who did Bush come to marry?

Harold, Agnes's son Signup and view all the answers

Why did the people come to the banquet?

Mourning was their common ground Signup and view all the answers

What kind of people lived on Fur Island and returned there each night?

The night-wind people Signup and view all the answers

What three items did Agnes say they ate?

Moose meat, rice, and fish Signup and view all the answers

What color dress did Frenchie wear?

Blue Signup and view all the answers

Who is Agnes's mother?

Dora-Rouge Signup and view all the answers

Who sent Angela back to her mother?

The county Signup and view all the answers

What did Bush do to herself during the banquet?

She cut her hair Signup and view all the answers

What four items of Angela's were given to the diners?

Handmade blanket, t-shirt, shoes, and socks Signup and view all the answers

What else did she give away?

Quilts, hawk feathers, carved fish decoys, fishing poles, rifle, silverware, what she was wearing Signup and view all the answers

Who struggled to open the frozen door when it was time to leave?

John Husk Signup and view all the answers

What was Bush arrested for?

Stealing beaver pelts from trespassing trappers Signup and view all the answers

What was the most important thing the diners took away that night?

Bush's sorrow Signup and view all the answers

What is singing at the end of the prologue?

Agnes's bear coat Signup and view all the answers

How does Agnes remember the sky looking when she walked home after the banquet?

Like a bowl of milk Signup and view all the answers

At what age did Angela return to Adam's Rib?

Seventeen Signup and view all the answers

Which ferry did Angela take to return to Adam's Rib?

Tinselman's Ferry Signup and view all the answers

Which trappers emptied the land of beaver and fox?

French Signup and view all the answers

Tons of fur was traded at which post?

Old LeDoux Signup and view all the answers

Besides the French, which other nationalities passed through this north?

British, Norwegians, and Swedes Signup and view all the answers

Where did the old men who Bush took Hannah Wing to live?

The Hundred-Year-Old Road Signup and view all the answers

What do the old people call Fur Island?

The navel of the world Signup and view all the answers

Who is the woman in the canoe?

Bush Signup and view all the answers

Who is Angela going to meet?

Agnes Iron Signup and view all the answers

What is Angela's last name?

Angela Jensen Signup and view all the answers

How are Angela and Agnes related?

Agnes is Angela's great-grandmother Signup and view all the answers

How much money did Agnes send Angela?

Fifty-five dollars Signup and view all the answers

What did the first sign Angela saw read?

Auto Parts, Boat Repairs Signup and view all the answers

How many bags of belongings did Angela have?

Two Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the road they traveled to get to Agnes's house?

Poison Road Signup and view all the answers

What rained along that road when the French were there?

Tiny fish Signup and view all the answers

Who originally built the weary houses on Poison Road?

Missionaries Signup and view all the answers

What month is it during the first chapter?

September Signup and view all the answers

What holds Agnes's glasses together?

A safety pin Signup and view all the answers

What kind of brooch does Agnes wear?

A cheap, silver bear brooch with a black stone for an eye Signup and view all the answers

What is wrong with the right side of Angela's face?

It is scarred Signup and view all the answers

What does Angela carry in her purse?

Money, makeup, and an unknown baby picture Signup and view all the answers

Where did Angela grow up?

In foster homes Signup and view all the answers

Why does Angela carry the baby picture?

She pretends it was hers Signup and view all the answers

Which foster home was Angela's favorite?

The yellow house in the middle of a dry prairie Signup and view all the answers

Whose initials are tattooed on Angela's left arm?

Lonnie Faro Signup and view all the answers

What is tattooed on one of Angela's knuckles?

An ink-blue cross Signup and view all the answers

What is tattooed on Angela's thigh?

A cross Signup and view all the answers

Which two things shaped and moved Angela?

Fear and anger Signup and view all the answers

What color is the room of anger?

Fire-red Signup and view all the answers

What did Angela tell herself she would not do before arriving at Adam's Rib?

Run away Signup and view all the answers

What sits outside Agnes's front door?

A large, red-covered chair Signup and view all the answers

What did the first women at Adam's Rib call themselves?

The Abandoned Ones Signup and view all the answers

Which tribes do the Abandoned Ones represent?

Cree, Anishnabe, Fat-Eaters, Chickasaw Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the taxidermist?

LaRue Marks Time Signup and view all the answers

Where did LaRue Marks Time live?

Old Fish Hook Signup and view all the answers

Where did Rue recently return from?

Vietnam Signup and view all the answers

What massacre is referenced in chapter one?

Wounded Knee Signup and view all the answers

What do some people say the older inhabitants are keeping?

The Ghost Dance alive Signup and view all the answers

Who rubs ice on his face and has a young wife?

Wiley Signup and view all the answers

Who fished and hunted to provide for the elders?

Tommy Grove Signup and view all the answers

How many languages does Tommy Grove speak?

Three Signup and view all the answers

What year is it?

1972 Signup and view all the answers

What are chilblains?

Agnes's term for feeling cold all of the time Signup and view all the answers

How is Dora-Rouge related to Angela?

Great-great-grandmother Signup and view all the answers

What features does Angela have that make her resemble her mother?

Walnut skin and red hair Signup and view all the answers

Who is Dora-Rouge's gone husband?

Luther Signup and view all the answers

What animal is used as a comparison for Dora-Rouge's nose?

An owl Signup and view all the answers

What name has Dora-Rouge for Angela?

The girl who would return Signup and view all the answers

What items are on Dora-Rouge's table?

Antlers and a grass rope Signup and view all the answers

What does Dora-Rouge hate?

When Agnes talks about her as if she wasn't there Signup and view all the answers

Why is the bathroom sink stained red?

The iron-rich water Signup and view all the answers

What is all that Angela has from her mother?

Her scars Signup and view all the answers

What year was Hannah Wing born?

1939 Signup and view all the answers

What does John Husk bring in that evening?

Two large fish Signup and view all the answers

How tall is John Husk?

Five-foot-five Signup and view all the answers

How many winters did John Husk spend in the near-Arctic north?

Two Signup and view all the answers

What was John Husk's main desire?

To prove the world was alive and that animals felt pain Signup and view all the answers

What is Dora-Rouge's desire?

To return to the Fat-Eaters to die Signup and view all the answers

Where did Angela live for most of her life?

Tulsa, Oklahoma Signup and view all the answers

Why does John Husk squint?

He had snow blindness in 1929 Signup and view all the answers

When does Agnes believe Angela's story begins?

Around the time of the killing of the wolves Signup and view all the answers

What allusion to the Bible is made in chapter one?

Genesis Signup and view all the answers

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.