1.

Based on what you have read so far, what do you think is the author’s purpose for
writing this story?

The author is trying to communicate the meaning of Azucena’s death with her being the
symbol for this tragedy.

2. Why do you think the people of the town ignored the warnings?

The people didn’t want to leave their houses and their livelihood behind. They didn’t
believe The people who lived in the area were convinced that nothing would happen.
They believed that the permanent ice would not be moved

3. At this point, can you guess what the theme of this story might be? Explain your
answer.

At this point, the devastation and destruction caused by the volcanic eruption shows
that life is fragile and that the power of nature shouldn’t be underestimated. The story
also shows about being aware of our surroundings. The fact that they didn’t listen led
them to their own demise.

4. Use context clues to write a meaning for equanimity. Underline clues in the text that
helped you find the meaning.

“Nothing could stop him, and I was always amazed at his equanimity in the face of
danger and suffering; it seemed as if nothing could shake his fortitude or deter his
curiosity.”

5. Why do you think Rolf would need protection “from his own emotions”?

Rolf always hid his true feelings and prefers to not get his emotions in the way of his
work. He needed to do it to be able to save Azucena. His lover’s presence could have
made him emotional, thus he chose to be far away.

6. Why do you think Rolf was trying to distract Azucena?

Rolf was trying to distract Azucena to keep her calm and keep her mind off the idea of
her going to sink into the mud.

7. So far, what details might lead you to think that one of the author’s purposes for
writing is to have the reader feel sympathy for Azucena’s predicament?

The details that led to the author’s purpose of having the reader feel sympathy for
Azucena’s predicament is through the she descibed her when she was being rescued.
Azucena was stuck in the mud, with her legs caught in the corpses. She can also barely
breathe. The ropes couldn’t do anything and with every tug just makes her situation
torture.

8. What are some ways Rolf tries to rescue Azucena?

 He took a tire and placed underneath her arms like a lifebuoy. He put a plank near the
hole so that he can be closer to her. He tried to dive into the mud to try to loosen her
feet but failed and concluded that he needs a pump to drain the water.

9. What do you think it means that “time had stagnated and reality had been irreparably
distorted”?

This means that he really had to wait in the morning as time has passed and there is no
available transportation for the pump to be delivered. He cannot go back in time and
fulfill his task of saving the girl.

10. What does Rolf realize about himself as a result of talking to Azucena?

He realized that he was really determined to save this girl and help her recover.

11. The word bear has multiple meanings. When the word is a noun, it refers to a large
animal, but in this sentence, bear is a verb. What do you think the word means here?

It means to endure or to face an ordeal or difficulty.

12. What purpose might the author have for writing this paragraph?

This describes the speaker’s love for Rolf. She always enjoyed his company and always
wanted to be by his side, no matter what happens.

13. What are the problems facing the rescuers and doctors?

The survivors are all stuck in the mud, which makes it hard for the rescuers and doctors
to reach them and treat their injuries.

14. The root of embodying is embody, which means “express, personify, or give concrete
form to.” What does it mean that Azucena had been given the responsibility of
embodying the horror of what had happened?

Azucena became the embodiment of not only the tragedy that happened but also Rolf’s.
Azucena’s helplessness, and her isolation are a target for the imaged spectacle of the
news media. She is alone, struggling to survive, and held up only by a tire.

15. What different techniques, or methods, has Rolf used to keep Azucena distracted and
calm?

He kept asking Azucena some questions and asked her about her life.

16. Why does the narrator think that Rolf is finally able to talk about his past traumas?

It is because he is inspired by Azucena and time has healed him emotionally, making him
ready to be able to talk about his past.
17. What theme do you think the writer is touching on with the phrase “to flee from
himself”? Think about what Rolf is going through as a universal experience that many
people go through during their lives.

The author is indicating that Rolf wanted to escape this experience. It made him
remember the visceral terrors he had lived as a boy. He also found himself in the past
like Azucena, stuck in a pit without escape.

18. Aromas comes from the Latin word aroma, meaning “sweet odor.” How do the
descriptions in this sentence illustrate what Rolf is thinking?

He is thinking of idea of his sister cooking him delicious food in which he can smell the
aroma of garlic, bread, and soup.

19. Summarize what Rolf has come to understand about himself in this section.

He came to realize that he was willing to take a risk for the sake of others. He regrets
leaving his sister and trying to escape reality through his work.

20. What does the president do in response to the disaster?

The president assured Rolf that he will provide a pump to be able to save the survivors.

21. How do you think the narrator, from just watching the television screen, was able to
tell that Rolf’s “defenses had crumbled” and to tell “the precise moment at which Rolf
gave up the fight”?

She paid close attention through the television. She could tell that there was something
that changed in Rolf. Instead of him providing consoling, it was Azucena who consoled
him.

22. How did Azucena’s death change Rolf?

Rolf has connected so much with Azucena. He really wanted to save her, but he
couldn’t. He felt that he could have done more to save her that when she died, there is
also a part of him that died. After the tragedy, he was never the same again.

23. What do you think is the theme of the entire selection? How does it compare to the
main idea of the previous selection?

The theme of the entire selection is the fragility of life and determination. The main idea
mainly focuses on the people not paying attention to their surroundings that led to their
destruction.

24. What do you think is the author’s purpose for writing the selection?

This selection showed character and emotional development which helped us relate to
the characters. It shows the idea of letting go of the past memories and accept the
painful reality of life, a never-ending cycle.
The lesson that I learned from the story is the acceptance of mortality. It is shown in the
story the fragility of life and how it can be easily taken away. As it said from the line in the
story: “it was calculated that beneath the mud lay more than twenty thousand human
beings and an indefinite number of animals putrefying in a viscous soup.” Azucena cannot be
able to escape death and is stuck in the pit because “the bodies of her brothers and sisters”
cling to her legs. Rolf was so determined to free her from her demise and in the end he
accepted the grief and let go of azucena to sink into the mud.