The People Could Fly Study Guide Answer

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The People Could Fly
ANSWER KEY
Study Guide—Key idea is HOPE.
1. What is the genre of this story?
Folk Tale
2. What did Virginia Hamilton want her story to sound like?
She wanted it to sound like someone was telling the story out loud.
3. What do the slaves hope for?
They hope that they would be able to escape from slavery.
4. What do the people who could fly do with their wings once they are
captured for slavery?
They have to shed their wings because the slave ships are too
crowded, and the distance from Africa makes them forget about
their ability to fly.
5. What are the people who are captured for slavery able to keep?
They keep the power to fly.
6. What happens to Sarah that causes her to want to leave?
The Driver whips her baby.
7. What do Sarah and some of the other slaves do when they can’t

stand the beatings anymore?
They fly away.
8. Why aren’t all of the slaves able to leave with Toby?
Some of them do not know how to fly, or Toby doesn’t have time to
teach them.
9. Not all the slaves fly away. Some of them are left behind. Why do
you think the people who first told this story did not have all the
slaves fly away?
Some people have to stay behind to tell and hear the story.

10.
Slaves told this story. How do you think other slaves felt when
they heard it?
The slaves would be proud of their heritage and would hope that
one day they would be free.
11.
Why does the folk tale use the image of flying to give hope to
the slaves?
The slaves can go wherever they want to escape slavery. Also, flying
makes it impossible to be caught because they cannot be tacked.