Questions are from "Omer's Big Dive"

By Lucinda H. Kennaley 2017

1. Explain what Nasser means when he talks about "fire" in paragraph 11.

2. Omer thinks about the reasons he is scared to dive before he dives for the first time. Is Omer brave for going on the dive even though he was scared? Why or why not?

3. At the end of the story, Omer declares, "I'm a pearl diver." How does Omer come to decide this about himself?

In paragraph 11 Nasser tells Omer to "Pull your rope before your chest catches fire", what Nasser is means that when Omer goes underwater he should signal to be pulled to the surface by pulling his rope, before his lungs starts to hurt from the effort of holding his breath. Yes Omer is brave for going on the dive even though he was scared. This is because his fears are all very real, he could actually get stung by a jellyfish and his saib could fail to detect it when Omer pulls the rope. Omer also knows all the consequences of diving, like going bald and losing his hearing, yet he decides to dive because he knows his responsibilities should be bigger than his fears. Therefore, Omer is brave for going on the dive. Omer goes on the dive, he experienced all the feelings first time divers get, he filled his basket before getting pulled to the surface. Omer actually enjoyed his experience and wants to follow in his father's footsteps, he is proud of his achievement and doesn't want to be a mere errand boy so Omer declares "I'm a pearl diver." at the end.

Explanation:

In the short story "Omer's Big Dive" a young boy Omer decides to become a peal diver to get money to pay his father's debts.

He was scared to dive for the first time but eventually does it because he knows he has responsibilities now, since his father is dead.

Nasser, an old diver and his father's friends tells him what to expect and what to do on his first dive.

Omer goes on the dive and likes the experience, he prepares to return for the second dive and declares "I'm a pearl diver now."