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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Pilar able to communicate telepathically with?

2. When did Pilar leave her Abuela Celia?

3. What type of work does Felicia do when she meets Hugo?

4. At what time does Lourdes go to the bakery to prepare pastries and doughs?

5. What does Celia tell her daughter not to bring in the house?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Celia practice the smiles of her youth?

2. How does Lourdes respond when soldiers first come to the ranch where she and Rufino live?

3. How does Celia know her husband has died?

4. Why does Celia imply that the mental asylum is a refuge?

5. What does Ester Ugarte accuse Loli Regalado of in Imagining Winter: The Meaning of Shells?

6. What does Jorge reveal about Pilar when Lourdes is on her walk home from the bakery?

7. What agreement for marriage do Jorge and Celia make?

8. What is significant about Celia's son being born with a caul?

9. How does Felicia attempt to kill her husband, Hugo?

10. What happens to Celia after her parents divorce?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do the characters in Dreaming in Cuban thrive in the face of conflict? Choose one character and describe how he or she uses conflict to improve his or her life.

Essay Topic 2

Pilar has a strong, psychic connection with her grandmother, Celia, as well as a unique ability to recall details of her life. Yet, Pilar's identity is weak. Why might Pilar have a weak sense of identity? What role do her family members play in shaping her identity? How might her experience leaving home help strengthen her identity?

Essay Topic 3

How do Celia's political views shape her parenting? How have Celia's children responded to her devotion to El Lider? How might her views influence her to stay in Cuba, rather than live in the U.S., where she could be closer to Pilar?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 679 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample