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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. After Mr. Hart left, Manny felt how angry Manuel was and he wanted to run away. What prevented him from running away?

2. After Rebecca took Manny out of the pool hall, what did Manny see his father doing when he looked through the window at him?

3. As Manny's father walked away from the car that would not start, what did Bobby and Stinky do to annoy him?

4. What meaning did Manuel ascribe to the note that Rebecca had left him about going to get her hair done at Sophie's?

5. Where did Rebecca tell Magda to go once she and Manny had returned home from the pool hall?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Manny travel to his school even though it is still summer?

2. What is ironic about Nardo being the one that "jeered at the [Immigration] officers" the loudest as the people were led away and put into vans?

3. What caused Rebecca to think that Manuel was somewhere in the pool hall even though Rico told her that Manuel had gone home?

4. What details does Manny reveal to the reader about his teacher Mr. Hart?

5. How does the theme of "otherness" emerge within the aftermath of the Immigration officers' removal of the illegal immigrants from the field?

6. What is significant about how Rebecca behaved during the scene in which the police came into the Hernandez's home?

7. How is the theme of racism demonstrated within the scene when Manny asks the secretary for his transcripts?

8. What did Manny mean when he said, "Miracles don't wait for doubters" (8) once Nardo had agreed to come work in the fields with him?

9. How did Mr. Hart give Manny $20 even though Manny had refused it?

10. How does the theme of domestic violence arise sharply within the scene when Manuel returns from his two-day drinking binge?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss characters' fear of their own emotions within the novel's narrative. Create a strong, specific claim about the author's message regarding this topic and support your argument with concrete details from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the effect of alcoholism on the health of the Hernandez family. What conflicts are a direct result of alcohol abuse and what is the author's subsequent message regarding alcoholism and its effect on families? Support your points with concrete details from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how the themes of truth and lies are interwoven within the novel’s narrative. Create a strong, specific claim and support it with concrete details from the novel.

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