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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 does the bird drop on the crowds of people celebrating in the streets of Cuba?

2. How many wives has Gonzalo Cruz had?

3. How long do Ignacio's parents court before they are married?

4. How many volumes of books does Reina keep in her apartment?

5. What unusual food item does Bengt feed Dulce in his hotel room?

Short Essay Questions

1. What answers does Ignacio finally give to the readers as to his motivations in killing Blanca and lying to his daughters?

2. How does Constancia react to Reina's theories about their father killing their mother?

3. What happens in the minutes before Dulce is arrested at the Habana Libre Hotel?

4. What is Gonzalo's theory about Herberto's attackers, and how does Constancia feel about Gonzalo's theory?

5. How do Reina and Russ Hicks meet?

6. How do Reinaldo and Soledad Vaerla meet?

7. How does Ignacio meet Dr. Samuel Forrest?

8. How does Constancia react to the birth of her sister, Reina?

9. What happens to Dulce when she is fired from her job and becomes homeless?

10. In the second retelling of the final night in Zapatos Swamp, what does Ignacio remember about the moment when he shot his wife?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Both Ignacio and Blanca are heavily influenced in their lives by the power of beauty around them. Explain what naturalism means to Ignacio and Blanca, and then explain how the quest for beautiful biology affected their relationship and the way they interacted with the world around them.

Essay Topic 2

After their mother's death, Constancia and Reina grew apart from one another as both had different views of their mother. Compare/contrast the childhood of each of the sisters and explain what factors led to the two sisters having a strained and distant relationship into their adulthood.

Essay Topic 3

When Reina was born, Constancia had an extremely adverse reaction to her new baby sister. Explain the way Constancia treated Reina, with at least two examples of abuse that were presented in the novel. Then, compare/contrast the reaction that both Ignacio and Blanca had to the way the two sisters interacted as children.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 835 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample