When I Was Puerto Rican Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Jibara and Fighting Naked

1. Describe the house Esmeralda's family moves into at the beginning of Chapter 1: Jibara.

2. Explain why Esmeralda feels she has been punished for choosing to work with her father instead of listening to her mother.

3. What is a jibara? Why does Esmeralda think she might be one?

4. Explain how Esmeralda feels about the treatment of jibaros.

5. According to Esmeralda, what is the function of nicknames in Puerto Rican culture?

6. Why do Ramona and Pablo fight at...
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