Essay Questions

Is Ada justified to tell her daughter, Del, that God does not exist?

Young children are introduced to the religion by adults when they are young. Del is a young girl who is passionate about comprehending more about God and his existence. Del looks after her mother to help her learn more about God; unfortunately, her mother disappoints her when she tells her that God is not useful. Ada, Del's mother, argues that if God existed, he should have prevented World War II from happening. Ada challenges Del to think of the ability of God, but she is too young to comprehend. The reader finds it satirical that a mother can start teaching her young to doubt God.

Why is Ada finding it hard to transform her society?

The author describes Ada as a progressive woman who values education and the rights of women in society. Unfortunately, she lives in a patriarchal society that knows that men run the world. Ada tries to provide free educational materials to her community members, but people are not interested. The reader realizes that Ada is living in the wrong place because her ideas are fit into an informed society.

Does Del learn about life the hard way?

The author portrays Del as a sharp young girl who wants to comprehend everything that happens around her. For instance, she is passionate about learning about God despite her mother's discouragement. Del is surprised why people do inappropriate things, and they are not ashamed of their behavior. When Del becomes mature, she gets into a relationship with a man and later breaks up with him. Del learns about relationships by herself. Consequently, Del struggles to understand many things in life because her mother is not ready to guide her. Therefore, Del knows about life experiences the hard way.