A. Please write specifically about Mary's feelings about her grandmother. What are some of her grandmother's habits? What does she suffer from? What does she think about Mary and Lecia? What does she reveal to Mary about Mary's mother?

If you cannot remember the answers to these questions, don't despair. Write as much as you can about the relationship.

B. Briefly, What causes Mary and her family to run from Leechfield? What happens on the bridge?

For the most part, Mary is just treating the situation like most kids would. "Dear Grandma, I hope you are getting better. There was a man in a car wreck who died three feet tall. Here is the man. Then there is a horizontal stick figure with X's for eyes next to a bubble-shaped car with what looks like a Band-Aid on it. I guess that was my studied approximation of death at the time."(49) She understands that the problem is serious, but being a kid and all, she will use her imagination to try and block out reality. Mary is really grossed out by the whole situation, she does not know how to handle the smells her grandma produces, nor the sight of her leg. "I wanted to leave right away, just looking at that leg."(52) She even refers to her Grandmas breath as a "snake smell" and "death stink".(79)

The Grandma has taken on bad habits to try and ease the pain, she drinks at least a six pack a day, is forgetful of names, and even abuses the use of children's pain killers.

The Grandmother suffers from Cancer which started in her leg and has now made it's way to her brain. Because of the illness, the Grandmother has an amputated leg and a terrible stench that comes from her throat.

The grandmother feels that Mary and Lecia are spoiled and could use a good beating. The grandmother even goes as far as to create a tasseled horse quirt, expecting the mother to beat the two. "These children are being ruined! you think you have trouble now, you just wait." (73)

The Grandmother reveals to Mary her two step-siblings, Tex and Belinda. It appears that Marry's mom had a completely different family that Mary was never aware of. "Sometime during that whipping, I began to rid of Tex and Belindas existence."(78) Mary never should have never found that out and was enraged when she did.

Mary and her family leave Leechfield to avoid getting hit badly by a hurricane. While on the bridge, the weather cause the Mother to swerve and hit a guard rail.