Study Questions

• Why does the speaker call the boys "surfing addicts"?

• "Since the ocean captivates our son, we decided to go with him to see Sandy's." What does "Sandy's" refer to?

• "It feels so good," they say. "Inside the tube, I can't describe it. There are no words for it." What are the limits of translating experience into words? How does one describe the indescribable? Compare the approaches of the kids, the speaker's, and the professionals'.

• Why do you think religious language is used in this essay?

• Maxine Hong Kingston, "A Sea Worry,"  Hawai'i

• Maxine Hong Kingston (profile, audio and transcript of interview by Bill Moyers)

• Maxine Hong Kingston

• E. D. Huntley, "The Life of Maxine Hong Kingston," Maxine Hong Kingston: A Critical Companion (2001)