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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. Who is grabbed as a hostage during Mixtli's quest for the purple dye?

2. What about the purple dye is so intriguing when Mixtli first hears of it?

3. What happens to Mixtli as a result of his service to Lady Jadestone Doll?

4. What overwhelms Mixtli about the boat that takes him to Texcoco ?

5. Who is Cozcatl?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who tells Mixtli the truth about what has happened to his sister?

2. Who is the cacao-colored man who often wanders the streets?

3. How are the men sacrificed in the ceremony Mixtli observes on his naming day?

4. Why do Tlatli and Chimali decline Mixtli's request regarding his sister?

5. What does Blood Glutton encourage the young Mixtli to do?

6. What kind act does Mixtli do for Flame Flower?

7. Why do the Maya purposefully deform their faces?

8. Who is Armed Scorpio?

9. What kinds of costumes do children wear to celebrate the end of the hollow days?

10. How does Mixtli react when he sees the "tapir woman" in the ruler's human zoo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose 2 characters and discuss why the do or do not listen to the omens that indicate that something negative will be happening in the future. What are the omens? What do they predict? Why do these characters refuse to "see" them? What do we learn about these characters as a result?

Essay Topic 2

Several characters in the story are married -- often more than once -- throughout the novel. Discuss the function of marriage within Aztec and what message, if any, Jennings is trying to convey about marriage itself through his characters.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the characters of Tlatli and Chimali, making sure to analyze them as individual characters as well as their relationship with each other.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 548 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample