Seedfolks

Multiple Choice

1. B (Various chapters)

2. D (Various chapters)

3. C (Chapter 12)

4. A (Chapter 11)

5. D (Various chapters)

6. C (Chapter 7)

7. B (Chapter 8)

8. A (Chapter 2)

9. D (Chapter 9)

10. C (Chapter 4)

Long Answer

1. At first, the garden is just a vacant lot with garbage all over it that no one is taking care of, just like the neighborhood is neglected and run down. As people start to put in effort and work toward a shared goal, the lot becomes a garden area, but much as the neighborhood is divided by racial and ethnic group, it is divided by fences and signs. Finally, in late summer, the vines escape the fences to mingle together and there is enough food for everyone, which mirrors how the neighbors now are in community with one another and benefiting from that community. (Various chapters)

2. Sam’s comparison of the garden to Eden supports the themes of Overcoming Separation With a Shared Purpose and Nurturing as an Act of Faith and Healing; like the Garden of Eden, the community garden is a place of harmony, and working there heals the divisions in the neighborhood, creating a paradise. Allusions to the Greek myth of Persephone, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, the Parable of the Sower, and the Parable of the Loaves and Fishes all support the theme Nurturing as an Act of Faith and Healing. Like the mustard seed, Kim’s small act of planting six beans leads to the transformation and healing of the community. Virgil’s prayer over the locket that reminds him of Persephone helps him have faith that his nurturing of the lettuce will pay off. Like the farmer in the Parable of the Sower, the neighbors persist in creating the garden and gain far more than vegetables from their efforts. Like the Parable of the Loaves and Fishes, the harvest celebration is an act of coming together in faith and shared purpose that feeds and nourishes everyone in the community. (Various chapters)