In class writing about Stories

First Question.
How do I relate to these characters? Not sure if that was the question but...
The cultural aspect of these stories are reflected. Religion, wealth, poverty, art, and family.
All of them have there own perspective of what I see as the lower economic level or poor. Not saying it is a bad thing to be at this socioeconomic level but the reading give us an personal look as to the internal struggles within this class.

Beliefs of the stories. Guiding beliefs of the stories read.
The guiding beliefs or idea about the stories.
Umm... yeah.... The beliefs that I found in the story is that of hope. There is hope in the stories I read that a particular group of people strive for their goals and or hopes to live a better life even if they do not themselves think that their lives are bad. It is only the spoiled western reader that might perceive their reality as horrible and poor.

What are the strategies to convey the world of the short story?
The strategy used in DewBreaker, first story, is the family bond. Most of anyone who does have an intact family can connect to the love within a family. She uses the main character to breakdown and revile details about the father in the story. Interesting because they are in Florida for the daughter to sell a sculpture. But the story is not about that at all. It's about the how much the character loves her father who is missing in the first half of the story but shows up later.
I can relate because I too have a daughter and son that I would do anything for.

How are the characters connected to the world of the story?
Theu are the products of their environment. "Dew Breaker" and "Hitting Buddapest" is about a group or couple of people out of their element or their world. They are aliens within a different environment struggling to understand it and survive.