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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. Where is Eileen's father killed?

2. How many sons does Eileen have?

3. What does Eileen feel as she suddenly wakens?

4. Who alerts Eileen that Sean has arrived?

5. What does Juan believe is going to happen?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Sean come to meet Mariana?

2. Who is Juan?

3. What does Juan tell Eileen about his people?

4. Why do Juan and the others leave camp in the middle of the night?

5. Where is Eileen raised and how does she come to be in California?

6. What does Silva believe about the area and how do most of the others react to his beliefs?

7. How does Eileen end up moving to Malibu?

8. Describe a couple of the men who are with Wooston when he comes to tell Eileen of Wooston's intentions to evict the Mulkerin family.

9. Why is the Mulkerin family's hope in Sean Mulkerin?

10. Why does Juan not think there is a reason to share much about his people and their history?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"The Californios" belongs to the western novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the fictional memoir genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think are the differences between western fiction and a southern fiction?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Thoroughly analyze how the setting informs the plot in "The Californios".

2. Trace and analyze one major theme of this book. How is the theme represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

3. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of "The Californios". How are the themes represented by symbolism? By the characters' behaviors? By the action?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Define irony in literary terms. Discuss the irony of the situation of how Machado is on somewhat friendly terms with Sean Mulkerin by the end of the book. What other situations contain irony in "The Californios"?

2. Define symbolism in literary terms. Discuss the use and meaning of five symbols you choose to analyze from "The Californios:. What do they symbolize? Is the symbolism obvious? Effective? Does the symbolism contribute to the enjoyment of reading?

3. Discuss five literary devices that occur in "The Californios" and how they are used. Are they effective? Do they add or detract from the reading of the book? Why or why not. Some possible techniques: Allusion, connotation, denouement, dialogue, flashback, figurative language, motif, metaphor, narrator, point of view, simile, mood, and puns.

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