STUDY GUIDE on "Hamadi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Essay: Please answer BOTH of the essay questions. Be sure to respond with 8-10 sentences.

(6 points each)

1.In a brief essay, explain with which character in “Hamadi” you identified more, Susan or Tracy. Use examples from the story to explain your answer.

2.Hamadi tells Tracy:

“We go on. On and on. We don't stop where it hurts. We turn a corner. It is the reason why we are living. To turn a corner.”

Write an essay in which you explain how Hamadi's advice might be helpful to Tracy in the story. Then, explain how it would prove useful to Susan in later years.

Multiple Choice

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

(3 points each)

____3.Which word best describes the meaning of distinctions?

a. / happiness
b. / wealth
c. / differences
d. / details

____4.In “Hamadi,” how does Susan's father stay in touch with his relatives in the Middle East?

a. / He calls them on the phone every week.
b. / He travels back to his homeland once a year.
c. / He visits his relatives on holidays.
d. / He writes frequent letters.

____5.In which sentence is distinctions used incorrectly?

a. / Many animals have suffered distinctions and no longer exist.
b. / He rarely made distinctions among his students.
c. / She made distinctions between domestic cats and wild cats.
d. / You can find distinctions between the two types of pine trees.

____6.Susan finds in Hamadi some of the traits she enjoyed in her grandmother, who lives near Jerusalem. What similarity does Susan find most compelling?

a. / Both live simply and thoughtfully.
b. / Both enjoy visiting with friends.
c. / Both are elderly.
d. / Both come from the Middle East.

____7.What does the following passage from “Hamadi” tell you about Susan?

Susan carried The Prophet around on top of her English textbook and her Texas history.

a. / She needs the book for her work on the literary magazine.
b. / She is behind in her school reading.
c. / She enjoys reading books beyond those assigned by her teachers.
d. / She likes to impress others with her reading material.

____8.Hamadi chooses to live in an old hotel rather than in a more modern apartment. What does this choice tell you about him?

a. / He regrets not being able to afford a newer place to live in.
b. / He is embarrassed about not having much furniture.
c. / He does not want to make the effort to move.
d. / He values simplicity more than outward appearances.

____9.Susan visits Hamadi, invites him caroling, and comforts her friend Tracy. What do these things tell you about her?

a. / She is a generous and compassionate.
b. / She makes friends easily.
c. / She enjoys people of all ages.
d. / She is a popular companion.

____10.How would you describe Hamadi based on this excerpt from the story?

“A white handkerchief spread across a tabletop, my two extra shoes lined by the wall, this spells ‘home’ to me, this says ‘mi casa.’ What more do I need?”

a. / content
b. / jealous
c. / lazy
d. / bitter

____11.In the story “Hamadi,” where was Susan's father born?

a. / Palestine
b. / India
c. / England
d. / Lebanon

____12.Which of the following words is closest in meaning to melancholy?

a. / queasy
b. / sad
c. / determined
d. / harmonious

____13.From the choices, pick the word that best describes the character trait of Hamadi conveyed in the following passage.

Two thin streams of tears rolled down Tracy's face…. Hamadi peered into Tracy's face, inquiring. “Why, is it pain? Is it gratitude?”

a. / compassion
b. / nosiness
c. / cluelessness
d. / weariness

____14.What advice does Hamadi give to people he meets?

a. / You must visit people in order to know them.
b. / It is important to sing carols loudly to attract listeners.
c. / Everyone should read Kahlil Gibran's works.
d. / People should eat six small meals a day.

____15.In which sentence is melancholy used correctly?

a. / I feel melancholy when I think of a friend who moved away.
b. / The pleasant, sunny day at the beach made Judy feel melancholy.
c. / Jack felt melancholy when his team won the game.
d. / Sue felt melancholy as she laughed at the comedy.

____16.What character trait does the author reveal about Susan when she writes, “Susan didn't want a boyfriend”?

a. / independence
b. / unpleasantness
c. / snobbism
d. / shyness

Plot Diagram

(6 points)

17.Please diagram the plot of the short story “Hamadi” on the back of your answer sheet. Be sure to include all aspects of plot including the conflict.