Essay Questions

Why is Dana jealousy of her half-sister, Chaurisse?

Dana and Chaurisse are half-sisters, but Dana knows that her father has another wife with a daughter. According to Dana, her father met her mother and married her but kept her in a different state. On the other hand, Chaurisse is not aware that her father is having another daughter, but Dana is aware of her existence. Dana is jealousy of Chaurisse because she only sees her father once a week, and the rest of the days, he spends with Chaurisse and her mother. Chaurisse's mother is James's first wife, and he refused to leave her after marrying Dana's mother. However, the reader realizes that Dana's jealousy is genuine because she needs more attention from her father. Therefore, there is a need for James to balance the time he spends with Dana and Chaurisse.

What is the author's critique of Dana and Chaurisse?

At first, the author introduces Dana as a jealous girl because her father does not have as much time with her as he does with her half-sister Chaurisse. Dana hates Chaurisse because she is loved more since their father spends a lot of time with her. Dana becomes exasperated and makes up her mind to track down Chaurisse and let her know that they both need their father's attention. However, Chaurisse is not aware of Dana's existence, and the reader expects that their encounter will be dramatic, not a surprise. Dana plans to meet Chaurisse without notifying her parents. She manages to track down Chaurisse. After meeting Chaurisse, Dana realizes that she is an innocent good girl, and they become best friends.

What is the main challenge in marriages, as expounded by Jones?

Marriage is a complex entity, and it is often faced with a myriad of challenges. Jones focuses on unfaithfulness in marriage, which often breaks up unions. The author illustrates that a husband can have more than one wife without their knowledge. For instance, James is married to his first wife, and he has a daughter with her called Chaurisse. Later, James gets married to a second wife with a daughter named Dana. Both Chaurisse and her mother are not aware that James is having another wife with a daughter in a different state. James is tactical because he spends most of the time with his first wife and daughter to make sure that they do not realize the second wife and daughter's existence. However, Dana is aware of her half-sister, and her impatience grows when she realizes that her father is not giving her much attention. When Dana meets Chaurisse without the knowledge of her parents, they become excellent friends. Unfortunately, as Dana and Chaurisse have an enjoyable road trip, their car gets a puncture, and Chaurisse calls her dad for help. When James arrives on the scene, the cat is let out of the bag. Chaurisse's mother, who has always been a faithful woman realizes that her husband is a professional womanizer.