72 pages • 2 hours read
Minfong HoThe Clay Marble
Minfong HoFiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1991A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
CHAPTERS 1-4
Reading Check
1. What noise does Dara hear at the opening of the novel?
2. Who did the Communist soldiers say were bombing the Cambodians?
3. How did the Khmer Rouge regime refer to the country of Cambodia?
4. What vehicle do the children in the camp run after?
5. What is the primary food distributed in the camp?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Compare and contrast Dara and her family’s previous living conditions to her current one. Where are they going?
2. Summarize the end of the Khmer Rouge regime. Which political party took over?
3. Describe Dara and her family’s observations of Nong Chan. Is this camp how they expected it to be? Why or why not?
4. Who befriends Dara and her family? What do their new friends continually assure Dara about?
5. Who does Dara observe speaking softly together? Why does Jantu tell her to stop listening and what feeling does Dara realize she has?
Paired Resources
- This is the International Red Cross (ICRC) archive’s collection of pictures of the refugee camp.
- This relates to the themes The Effects of War on Civilians and Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity.
- Based on the text and the above pictures, describe life for refugees living in the Nong Chan refugee camp. What were some of the obstacles they faced?
- This resource from History.com focuses on the importance of the Cambodian religious complex.
- This connects with the themes Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity and Friendship and Loyalty.
- Based on the text and the above resource, why is Angkor Wat important to the Cambodian people?
CHAPTERS 5-8
Reading Check
1. What allegory does Jantu use to describe the leaders of Cambodia?
2. What about Jantu does Dara believe has magic?
3. What does the monsoon season make Dara and Jantu think about?
4. What became “the center of [Dara and Jantu’s] world?”
5. Who helps Dara get to the tree after the explosion?
6. According to Dara, what is a “single, terrifying word?”
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Summarize the story of Khong the Brave. How does Jantu use stories with Dara?
2. Summarize Dara’s interaction with Chnay. What item does he break and what does Jantu give to Dara?
3. What objects do Dara and Jantu make together? How do these objects connect with the theme of family?
4. Why do Dara and Jantu’s families suddenly have to leave their campsite? How does this affect Dara?
5. Which vehicle does Dara see? What does she convince Jantu to do and what is the outcome of their decision?
Paired Resources
- This article by the War Childhood Museum gives a brief overview on the psychological effects of war on children.
- This relates to the themes The Effects of War on Civilians and Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity.
- Based on the text and the above resource, what are some of the impacts that war and political instability have on children?
“Rules of War (In a Nutshell)”
- The ICRC’s video gives an overview of some of the basic principles of international humanitarian law.
- This relates to the themes The Effects of War on Civilians and Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity.
- Based on the text and the above resource, what are the guidelines of war? What are some examples from the novel where the warring countries respect these guidelines? What are some examples of when they do not?
CHAPTERS 9-12
Reading Check
1. What three words does Dara use to describe Jantu’s marble?
2. Where does Dara invite Chnay to come with her?
3. What two tactics does Dara learn while searching for her family?
4. What animal guards the camp kitchen?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Describe how Dara is able to find her previous campsite. What does she discover there and what is missing?
2. Who does Dara unexpectedly meet at the campsite? Summarize the crucial information this person tells Dara about her family.
3. Who is Kung Silor? Describe Dara and Chnay’s interaction with him, including Silor’s reaction.
4. What deal do Chnay and Dara come to? Describe the outcome of their deal.
Paired Resources
“Shadows in the Sun: The Camps”
- This is American Landscape Gallery’s pictorial compilation of refugee camps at the Thai-Cambodia border in 1979.
- This relates to the themes The Effects of War on Civilians and Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity.
- Based on the text and the above resource, what were the living conditions in the camps? In particular, what were some of the hardships and difficulties that Cambodian refugees faced?
“Study Guide for The Clay Marble”
- The first pages of this text by the Glencoe Literature Library offer an overview of information relevant to The Clay Marble.
- This relates to the themes The Effects of War on Civilians, Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity, and Friendship and Loyalty.
- Based on the text and the above resource, how did the war in Cambodia impact people’s future plans?
CHAPTERS 13-16
Reading Check
1. What information does Dara learn about Sarun and Nea?
2. Why do Dara and her family want the special pass for Khao I Dang?
3. What question do Nea and Dara ask the caravans that they pass?
4. What does Dara ask of the clay marble?
5. What does Jantu compare the military activities in the camp to?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Describe the first evening after Dara and her family reunite. What subject do they discuss?
2. How does Sarun respond to Dara’s request for a special pass? What does Dara do to show that she is determined?
3. Compare and contrast Khao I Dang to Nong Chan. How does Dara process the difference between these refugee camps?
4. Describe the reunion between Jantu and Dara. What information does Dara find out about Jantu’s brother? Who else does she meet there?
5. What happens to Jantu while Dara and Nea are walking back to their camp? Describe the outcome of this situation.
Paired Resources
“Famed Cambodian Refugee Camp Reopens as Educational Centre”
- This is UNHCR’s 2016 press release on the Khao I Dang camp.
- This relates to the themes The Effects of War on Civilians, Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity, and Friendship and Loyalty.
- Based on the text and the above resource, how has the Khao I Dang been repurposed to support displaced populations in the 21st century?
“Photography Book Remembers Cambodian Refugee Resettlement in Chicago”
- Southeast Asia Globe explores the story of Cambodian refugees adjusting to life in Chicago.
- This relates to the themes The Effects of War on Civilians, Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity, and Friendship and Loyalty.
- Based on the text and the above resource, what are some of the challenges that Cambodian refugees experienced after the war?
CHAPTER 17-AFTERWORD
Reading Check
1. What announcement does Sarun make to Dara and his family?
2. What object does Dara create while arguing with Sarun?
3. What does Dara want to teach her daughter?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. What conflict do Dara and Sarun have? What is the outcome of their argument?
2. Describe Dara’s final interaction with Chnay. What does she offer him and how does he respond?
3. What happens to Jantu’s marble as Dara and her family leave the camp? What does Dara realize at this moment?
Recommended Next Reads
Rice Without Rain by Minfong Ho
- Ho’s 1986 novel follows protagonist Jinda as she navigates life in 1970s Thailand during the communist uprisings.
- Shared themes include The Effects of War on Civilians, Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity, and Friendship and Loyalty.
- Shared topics include a Southeast Asian setting, the effect of politics on childhood, female protagonists, and the spread of communism.
- Rice Without Rain on SuperSummary
Refugee by Alan Gratz
- Gratz’s 2017 novel follows the narratives of three refugee children fleeing from war and persecution.
- Shared themes include The Effects of War on Civilians, Hope and Courage in the Face of Adversity, and Friendship and Loyalty.
- Shared topics include displaced and refugee children, female protagonists, and making friendships in difficult circumstances.
- Refugee on SuperSummary
Reading Questions Answer Key
CHAPTERS 1-4
Reading Check
1. A cowbell (Chapter 1)
2. “American imperialists” (Chapter 1)
3. “[...] Cambodia was one big family and that the Communist party was our parent.” (Chapter 1)
4. The food truck (Chapter 3)
5. Rice (Chapter 4)
Short Answer
1. Dara and her family are seeking refuge in Thailand. Dara remembers how her childhood had been happy and safe in Cambodia; however, since the war broke out, her family had experienced many hardships including lack of food. (Chapter 1)
2. During the years of the Khmer Rouge leadership, Cambodians suffered under the strict regime. When the Vietnamese army entered the country, they expelled the Khmer Rouge, allowing families such as Dara’s to seek refuge in neighboring countries. (Chapter 1)
3. As Dara and her family approach the refugee camp, they are worried about food and how they will survive; however, they meet a man who says that there is plenty of food at the Thai-Cambodia border. As they reach Nong Chan, they see families—with some generations missing—but they see love and happiness that they had not seen for a long time. (Chapter 2)
4. Dara and her family meet another refugee family from their village of Siem Reap. The girl introduces herself as Nea, and invites Dara, her mother, and brother to eat with them and clean up and learn about life in the camp, and she assures them that there is plenty of food for them to eat, and that no one will go hungry. (Chapter 2)
5. Dara observes her brother Sarun and her new friend Nea speaking softly together. Although Dara is curious and wants to keep listening, Jantu, Nea’s cousin, tells her to leave them alone as they want to have a private conversation. Dara realizes that she feels “a sense of hope.” (Chapter 4)
CHAPTERS 5-8
Reading Check
1. The four deaf brothers and the lion (Chapter 5)
2. Jantu’s hands (Chapter 5)
3. Memories with their families (Chapter 6)
4. “The toy village” (Chapter 7)
5. A man with an armband with a red cross on it (Chapter 8)
6. “Lost” (Chapter 8)
Short Answer
1. Jantu tells Dara the story of Khong the Brave, who accidentally became a hero when his injured elephant ran into the enemy ranks. Dara notes that Jantu uses stories to captivate the children, and explain life to those that had not lived without war. (Chapter 5)
2. Dara describes Chnay as a well-known bully in the camp. After he ruins a doll that Jantu made, Dara is distraught she could not take better care of it; Jantu offers her a “‘magic marble’” that she made out of clay. (Chapter 5)
3. Using the dolls that she molded out of clay; Jantu shows Dara how dolls could represent their families. She uses these figurines to create a story in which Jantu’s cousin Nea and Dara’s brother, Sarun, eventually get married, and the families grow instead of diminish. (Chapter 6)
4. As the gunshots and fighting approaches the campsite, many of the families decide to flee by crossing the Thai border. At first, Dara is reluctant to leave the campsite and the clay figurines that she and Jantu made; however, Jantu reminds her that these are only objects and not anything that needed to be missed. (Chapter 7)
5. As the families are fleeing, Dara sees the food truck in the distance. She convinces Jantu, who is carrying her baby brother, to come with her and see if there is food while their families wait behind. At that same moment, there is an explosion, and Jantu’s brother’s foot is injured from the blast. (Chapter 7)
6. Dara finds a medical officer and leads him back to Jantu and her baby brother. The officer determines that Jantu’s brother needs to be taken to the hospital and Jantu should accompany him, while Dara must leave and find their families again. (Chapter 8)
CHAPTERS 9-12
Reading Check
1. “[S]mooth, round and reassuring” (Chapter 9)
2. To the military base camp (Chapter 10)
3. She learns how to look at people without them noticing her and how to “scrounge for food” on her own. (Chapter 11)
4. A monkey (Chapter 11)
Short Answer
1. Using the food truck as a marker, Dara manages to find the old campsite; however, after the previous day’s shelling, she discovers that the area is desolate, and everything had been destroyed, including the clay figures. (Chapter 9)
2. While mourning the loss of the clay dolls, Dara sees Chnay, who tells her that her family was at the campsite waiting for her until the morning; however, they were forced to leave the area after soldiers insisted that they move to a military base camp further south. (Chapter 10)
3. Kung Silor is the leader of the base camp. Chnay and Dara try to steal chicken from his kitchen; however, he catches them, and demands answers. As a result, Dara uses the marble to give her confidence to both ask for a meal and work in the kitchen in exchange for food. Kung Silor is amused with her behavior and accepts her offer. (Chapter 11)
4. In exchange for food from the kitchen, Chnay offers to keep searching for Dara’s family while Dara works in the kitchen. After three nights, Chnay informs Dara that he believes that he saw Dara’s brother Sarun as one of the new military recruits. (Chapter 12)
CHAPTERS 13-16
Reading Check
1. That they plan to marry (Chapter 13)
2. To visit Jantu and her baby brother (Chapter 13)
3. Which region in Cambodia they are returning to (Chapter 14)
4. To make Jantu heal from her wounds (Chapter 16)
5. “[A]n elaborate soccer game” (Chapter 16)
Short Answer
1. On the first evening of their reunion, Dara explains the work of the “magic marble,” and each family member offers their interpretation of whether or not magic really brought Dara home. In the end, the family is just relieved to have her back. (Chapter 13)
2. Dara seeks a visitor’s pass to visit the Khao I Dang camp, but Sarun continues to delay the possible visit. As a result, Dara and Nea pack the wagons themselves, and demand that Sarun asks his commander. (Chapter 14)
3. Dara notes the orderliness and strictness of Khao I Dang, which is lined with barbed wire and restricts the entry of those who are not residents. She directly compares this with Nong Chan, which she notes had “swirling confusion.” While she is initially envious of the order, she realizes that there is a lack of freedom. (Chapter 14)
4. After visiting several distressing wards, Dara is able to locate Jantu and her baby brother, both of which are doing well despite the difficult environment. She also meets Duoic, a teenage boy who lost both his legs in a landmine accident. (Chapter 14)
5. While the girls walk back to camp, they get lost, and Sarun and his friend accidentally shoot Jantu. As her health deteriorates the following day, Jantu urges Dara not to leave her brother in the camp with the military before passing away. (Chapter 16)
CHAPTER 17-EPILOGUE
Reading Check
1. That he has “decided to enlist as a regular in the army” (Chapter 17)
2. Her own marble (Chapter 17)
3. To “make a magic marble, for herself” (Afterword)
Short Answer
1. After Jantu dies and Sarun announces that he will enlist in the army, Dara tells him that she will return home to plant the rice. The other members of the family agree too, and Sarun—shocked at their initial defiance—agrees that he will return with them. (Chapter 17)
2. On the morning of her departure, Dara sees Chnay, who gives her a cowbell he made in memory of Jantu. She invites him to come back to their village, but he refuses and says that he feels more at home with the other children without families. (Chapter 18)
3. Dara becomes distressed when she mistakenly drops Jantu’s marble from the caravan. She then realizes that there was no magic in the marble itself, but rather in “the making of the marble.” She then throws the second marble she made, thinking “the magic isn’t in the marble. It’s in me!” (Chapter 18)
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