Wei-Lei and Me (Aditi Gouvernel)

1. What word in the opening sentence means ‘short and flat’?
   The words in the opening sentence that means 'short and flat' are "pig nose" that compares Barry to having a pig like nose implying a short and pushed in nose.
    What is so ‘Australian’ about Barry West?
   In the opening paragraph the quote "the red stained face of Australian summers" which summarises Barry's appearance being very Australian
    What is the opening interaction between the two characters about?
   The opening interaction between the author and Barry are them arguing this argument shows the inherited racism Barry demonstrates to Indians
    What is the protagonist’s home country?
   The protagonist's home country is in India, Delhi.
    What word means “noble and splendid”? (p75)
   "Aristocratic"
    In what way is the protagonist’s home country “aristocratic”?
   The author then later describes the "the city filled with places, temples, gardens and tombs" all of these imply splendour and befitting of an aristocratic family.
    Where did the protagonist’s father move his family to? Why?
   The author describes "Delhi, with its eons of history, was not a place that could be 'added to.' Australia, on the other hand, large, spacious and full of gaps, would be a place where we could create a new identity" this quote explains how the family wanted to carve a new identity in Australia.
    What is the protagonist’s attitude towards the citizenship ceremony? (pp75-6)
   The protagonist does not describe the citizenship in detail but considers herself as being Australian.
    How is Barry West the antagonist?
   Barry West is considered the antagonist as conflict begins when he "told the world" that the author "wiped my butt with my hands".
   What is the irony of the comments made by Amy and Cris? (p76)
   The irony shown by Amy and Cris being how they describe her looking like "shit" when the were tormenting her.
   What is “you have to face the world” a metaphor for? (p76)
   "You have to face the world" is a metaphor how the author has to see the world and prove people wrong.
   What is the teacher’s hair compared to? Is this an example of a metaphor or simile? (p77)
   The teacher's hair is compared to "a halo of curly red hair" this is an example of a metaphor saying the teacher's hair was a halo.
   How is the children’s cruel creativity put into action once Wei-Lei arrives? (p77)
   The author describes the cruel creativity being "It took the class exactly thirty seconds to shorten his name to Wee".
   Explain the relevance of the ‘cat and toy’ metaphor. (p77)
   The relevance of the "cat and toy" metaphor extends throughout the chapter describing how cruel the children can be toying with Wei-Li.
   How does the children’s cruel creativity have a more sinister side?
   The children then start to hit, spank and kick Wei-Li and force him to pull down his pants.
   What does the protagonist mean by “the afternoon passed like a death sentence”? (p78)
   The author describes how slowly the afternoon passed comparing it to a death sentence full of anticipation.
   Why does the protagonist see everything Indian “lit by a spotlight”? (p78)
   The protagonist feels self-conscience about how Indian her family seemed to her and thus describes how it seemed out of place as if it was lit by a spotlight.
   How does the story build to a climax? (p79)
   The story begins to build to a climax as the tension builds when the author and Wei-Li hiding from Barry out of fear.
   What is the irony of Barry’s fate? (p80)
   Barry is forced to move to Jakarta a foreign country
   Explain what the protagonist means by “as our faces changed, so did Canberra” (p81).
   As time went on so Canberra changed like new buildings and roads becoming more mature with age.
   What do you think the protagonists’ definition of being Australian would be? (p81)
   Having a group of friends and enjoying time with each other by accepting each other.