The Crossing: Analysis of Key Details
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary significance of the cloudy, moonless night chosen for the crossing?

  • It provides optimal conditions for navigation using constellations.
  • It ensures a calmer sea, reducing the risk of capsizing.
  • It creates a mystical atmosphere that calms the passengers.
  • It minimizes the risk of detection by the Greek Coast Guard. (correct)

How does Ahmed's perception of his father's calmness contrast with the reality of their situation?

  • Ahmed is indifferent to his father's calmness, focusing solely on his own fear.
  • Ahmed believes his father's calmness is genuine, providing him with reassurance.
  • Ahmed interprets his father's calmness as denial, leading to a conflict between them.
  • Ahmed recognizes his father's calmness as a facade, masking the gravity of their predicament. (correct)

Considering the mention of defective life jackets, what does this detail reveal about the smugglers?

  • The smugglers are unaware of the quality standards for safety equipment.
  • The smugglers are victims of deceit themselves, having been sold faulty equipment.
  • The smugglers are providing the best available equipment under difficult circumstances.
  • The smugglers prioritize profit over the safety and well-being of the refugees. (correct)

What is the most likely reason Ahmed's father gave him the watch?

<p>To ensure that if the worst happens, there is a means of identification and a connection to his family. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Considering the statement, 'Where was Europe? Where was the rest of the world?', what does this reveal about Ahmed's state of mind?

<p>Ahmed is questioning the values and empathy of the developed world towards their plight. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Given the limited information, what can be inferred about the reasons for the family's departure from their home country?

<p>They are fleeing from a situation so dire that risking their lives at sea is preferable. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the author create a sense of foreboding?

<p>By highlighting the precarious state of the dinghy, the defective life jackets, and the inability to see land. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What literary device is used in the phrase 'a name that seemed ironic now' when referring to the Omega Seamaster watch?

<p>Irony (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Ahmed's whisper, 'Baba, you know I can't swim,' reveal about their relationship and the gravity of the situation?

<p>It highlights Ahmed's dependence on his father and his awareness of the life-threatening danger they face. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the most likely reason Ahmed's father gives the inner tube to Ahmed?

<p>He is sacrificing his own safety to ensure Ahmed has a better chance of survival. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the author include the detail about the woman folding the man's clothes neatly?

<p>To illustrate the woman's hope and expectation of the man's return, despite the risky situation. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred from the detail that the refugees are from 'a medley of places---Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq'?

<p>They are united by a common need for safety, despite their diverse backgrounds. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Ahmed's father mean when he says, 'For a moment, I must leave you.'?

<p>He is about to get off the boat to help push it, prioritizing the group's survival over their bond. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Considering the context, what is the significance of the passengers praying 'Allahu Akbar'?

<p>It is a plea for divine intervention and protection in a moment of crisis. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the author create a sense of rising tension and urgency?

<p>By juxtaposing small acts of kindness with the overwhelming threat of the situation. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the phrase 'slid into the dark water like an eel' suggest about Ahmed's father's actions?

<p>His descent is quick and efficient, showcasing his determination to help. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the engineering student from Homs being chosen to pilot the boat?

<p>It underscores the desperation and lack of qualified personnel among the refugees. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the captain feel 'ashamed about the motor'?

<p>The broken motor symbolizes his failure to fulfill his duty to the refugees. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Considering the events, what do the bags being tossed into the sea symbolize?

<p>The refugees' willingness to abandon their possessions for the sake of survival. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Ahmed's memory of his father leading the dabke during family outings primarily highlight about their relationship?

<p>His father's authoritative nature and Ahmed's implicit trust and sense of security in his leadership. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the most likely reason Ahmed felt pride when his father took the lead in pulling the boat?

<p>It reminded Ahmed of a time before the war when his father was a leader during happy family times. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Ahmed's observation of the passengers scooping water from the boat and pouring it out suggest about their actions?

<p>A practical measure to lighten the boat and prevent it from sinking, aimed at enhancing their chances of survival. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the text juxtapose the passengers' cheers and shouts of 'Praise be to God!' with their actions of bailing water?

<p>To highlight the contrast between the group's collective hope and the practical measures they are taking to survive. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the phrase 'as if considering the worth of those inside' imply about the wave that threatens the dinghy?

<p>The wave is portrayed as a sentient force, weighing the value of the passengers' lives. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the detail of Ahmed's father refusing the inner tube suggest about his character and priorities?

<p>His father is concerned about slowing down the group effort and prioritizes the safety of others over his own comfort. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The text describes the boat jerking forward 'as if a giant hand had given it a shove.' What effect does this simile have on the reader?

<p>It creates a sense of sudden, unexpected force and highlights the vulnerability of the boat and its passengers. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the increasing intensity of the weather—from a light wind to a hard rain and then to a large wave—contribute to the story's overall impact?

<p>It mirrors the escalating desperation and diminishing hope of the refugees, intensifying the emotional impact of the narrative. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What narrative purpose does the sudden ripping of the buoy off the rope and tossing it into the darkness serve?

<p>It symbolizes the complete loss of control and direction, plunging the refugees into deeper uncertainty and danger. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred from the fact that the men swam to the front of the boat and conferred in hushed tones?

<p>They were trying to assess the situation and make a plan without alarming the other passengers. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Bail (water)

To reduce the load or weight, often by throwing something overboard.

Overcrowded

Overcrowded beyond capacity; filled with too many people.

Treading water

The act of moving through water by using arms and legs.

Medley

A mix of different people or things.

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Ashamed

Deeply sorry or regretful.

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Pilot

A person who guides a boat.

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Desperate

A feeling of hopelessness in the face of danger.

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Makeshift Captain

An engineering student chosen to operate the boat.

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Soaking sneakers meaning

Water seeping into the boat

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Accented Arabic

A distinctive way of speaking a language

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Inflatable Dinghy

A small, inflatable boat, often used in emergencies or for crossing short distances over water.

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Panic

The feeling of intense fear, or dread, often accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat and trembling.

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Defective

Not working correctly or not meeting the required standards; flawed.

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Powerlessness

Having no power or control; helpless.

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False Words of Comfort

False or insincere words or consolation, meant to comfort but ultimately empty.

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Ironic

Expressing contradictory ideas; in this context, the name seems unsuitable given the situation.

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Aegean Sea

The sea separating Greece and Turkey

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Smuggler

A person who illegally transports people across borders

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Promise of Elsewhere

A promise or hope for a better future or a different place.

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Lesbos

Situated on an island in Greece, this island is a relatively short distance from the coast of Turkey.

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Buoy

A floating object used to mark a location or act as a mooring point.

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Conferring

To discuss something privately or secretly.

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Ebb

To decrease or weaken; to lessen the intensity of something.

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Dinghy

A small boat, often inflatable.

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Choppy Waves

Marked by choppy waves, roughness or turbulence.

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Whitecaps

White foam forming on breaking waves.

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Taut

Pulled tight; stretched.

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Pitched

To be tilted suddenly to one side.

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Pinwheel

Move with short, quick strokes.

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Bucked

Sway from side to side, especially when moving forward.

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Study Notes

  • Set on a cloudy, moonless July night, a group of eighteen men, three women, and four children are on an inflatable rubber dinghy in the Aegean Sea, trying to cross from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos.
  • The dinghy is sitting low in the water, at barely ten centimeters above the surface.
  • The Greek Coast Guard is a threat they wish to avoid.
  • The captain is struggling to restart the motor.
  • Some passengers have ill-fitting life jackets, and few know how to swim.
  • Ahmed Nasser, a fourteen-year-old boy, hugs his life jacket, which is too small for him.
  • Ahmed recalls stories of defective life jackets that cause people to sink.
  • Ahmed's father reassures him, but Ahmed notices the smell of unwashed bodies the terrified gazes, and the sickly motion of the sea.
  • Ahmed points out that the boat is deflating and asks what will happen if the motor does not start.
  • Ahmed considers the possibility of death, thinking of his deceased mother, sisters, and grandfather.
  • Ahmed wears his great-grandfather's Omega Seamaster watch.
  • People begin throwing bags into the sea to lighten the load.
  • A woman starts crying.
  • Ahmed realizes she is holding a baby in a sling.
  • Ahmed's father tries to comfort her, but his words only increase her distress.
  • Ahmed's father puts an inner tube around Ahmed, then tells him he must leave him for a moment.
  • Ahmed tries to stop him as his father slides into the water.
  • Ahmed's father says that he is going to help pull the boat.
  • He asks if anyone else can swim, but no one can.
  • An Iraqi man says that he can swim in Arabic.
  • The captain also volunteers to swim.
  • The captain removes his jacket and shirt and hands them to the woman who is holding the baby in a sling.
  • The captain takes an orange buoy.
  • Ahmed tries to return the inner tube to his father, but the father refuses, saying it would slow him down.
  • The swimmers loop the boat's towrope around the buoy and begin to pull it.
  • Passengers start scooping water out of the boat and shouting phrases of praise.
  • Ahmed feels his fear replaced by pride in his father.
  • Ahmed remembers weekends with his family before the war, barbecuing and dancing the dabke with his father.
  • The wind picks up, and choppy waves rock the dinghy, occasionally spilling over the sides.
  • Ahmed looks anxiously at his father and the other swimmers.
  • A hard summer rain begins to fall, stirring up the sea.
  • The swimmers pull the dinghy straight into the waves.
  • A large wave causes the dinghy to tip to one side and then sweeps over the swimmers, causing them to vanish.
  • The wave rips the buoy off the rope.
  • After a moment of shock, the passengers start shouting and shining their phone flashlights across the water.
  • The captain reappears, followed by the Iraqi swimmer clutching the rope.
  • Ahmed sees his father's head bob to the surface in the distance, but there is no response when he shouts his name.
  • Ahmed sees only the waves.

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Description

Explore the symbolism and implications within key details of 'The Crossing'. Analyze the significance of the setting, character perceptions, and objects. Interpret Ahmed's emotional state and the family's motivations.

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