Matilda, Marrying Grace, Delores' redemtion, and white man in black woman's shoes

1.Matilda could be seen as:
sensitive, highly intelligent, observant, open to new ideas, able to be herself
List examples/scenes of where you see these characteristics in the text.

She can be seen as sensitive when Grace dies and she is sympathetic towards her death. She is also sensitive when her mother is raped and killed right before her. She is seen as highly intellegent when she listens to her mother who tells her not to intervene when she gives her life for her daughter. She is observant when she notices that the rebels disappeared all of a sudden and knew that it meant something was going to happen. She is open to new ideas when she explores the teachings of Mr. Watts and the Great Expectations, even making it her new reality. She is able to be herself when she is in Australia with her father who she has,'t seen in over four years.

2. do you think mr. watts made the wrong choice in marrying Grace and in staying in Bouganville? Give your reasons for this.

No, I think he made the right decision, because he loved Grace and he didn't want to abandon her home just because all the other white people were doing it. Although he left his previous wife behind, he lead a more happier life in his new home and he was an essential asset to the children's education.

3. Does Delores ultimately succeed in redeeming herself after stealing the book from Mr. Watts? Do you think Matilda should share some of the blame because she did not tell the other villages?

I think she does redeem herself when she sacrifices herself for her daughter before she is to be raped. Instead, she dies and the soldiers leave the village. I do believe that if Matilda had spoken up earlier there would have been less conflict, as she was part of the reason why mr. Watts died in the first place because she wrote that name in the sand.

5. It has been said that it is impossible for a white man to take on the voice of a black woman. Do you agree?

I think it is possible if the white man has experience of what it is like in Bouganville day-to-day and what they go through. If he grew up there he may know even better what it was like, such as the way mr. Watts had for so many years.