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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. What do all the neighbors call the old man who sings "My Way" in "Everyone Loses Their Shit"?

2. What score does Jay get for his performance in karaoke in "Everyone Loses Their Shit"?

3. Who does Tita Ines remark there are none of at the beach where they take Jay in "To Flood"?

4. Who was Jay's first girlfriend?

5. Who is the first neighbor to arrive after the karaoke machine is set up and introduce herself to Jay in "Everyone Loses Their Shit"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Jun go after his father kicked him out of his home? For how long did he stay there?

2. What does Jay learn about Jun in “New Life"?

3. Where does Jay find Jun's letters in “Bravery as if it Were my Own"? What does this reveal?

4. What poem is discussed in “This Poem is a Typhoon"? How does the poem affect Jay?

5. What do Jay's aunts do to cheer him up in “Everyone Loses Their Shit"?

6. How and when did Jun leave Reyna?

7. When was Reyna separated from her family? How and why did this happen?

8. Why is Jay's memory/flashback significant in “Headfirst Across the Muddy Grass"?

9. How did Reyna meet Jun?

10. Why does Jay come to hope for the best in “A Complete Waste"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss three symbols in Patron Saints of Nothing. What does this symbol represent? How does each symbol connect to the characters in the novel? What themes are connected to each theme?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the setting of Lolo and Lola's home. In what village do Lolo and Lola live? How does this landscape differ from the cityscapes that Jay has visited in Manila? What are Jay's observations about this setting?

Essay Topic 3

Examine and discuss journalism and the quest for truth as themes/motifs in Patron Saints of Nothing. What characters in the novel are connected to these themes? How do these characters influence Jay? How does the meaning of truth change for Jay in the course of the novel?

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This section contains 688 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample