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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 Ernie when his mother returns home at night from helping attend to a sick person?

2. How does Ernie react when he sees the American soldiers helping people off the train?

3. What does Ernie notice about Juan-Chon when he sees him on the train to the U.S?

4. Who is it that kills Nerun because he is sick?

5. Why do Josy and Gustavo leave Jalco in Part One, sections 9 and 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Ernie's tooth in Mazatlan?

2. How does Ernie describe the Devil's Backbone?

3. Why is Ernie so angry with his mother as they journey to Tepic?

4. What is Ernie's meeting with Juan-Chon like in Part Three?

5. Why do Josy and Gustavo leave Jalco in Part One, Section 9?

6. What are the haciendas and Ernie's opinion of them?

7. How does Ernie view the train station in Part Two, Section 2?

8. What is one of the signs of manhood Ernie describes?

9. What are the residents of Leandro Valle like?

10. What role does the forest play to the residents of Jalco?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Education is seen throughout the story. What are the various ways Ernie was educated? How does Ernie's education in Mexico differ from his education in the U.S.A.?

Essay Topic 2

Please identify what conflict in a literature is and define the five types of conflict we touched on in class. What is the primary type of conflict found in Barrio Boy?

Essay Topic 3

Barrio Boy can be considered a Coming of Age Story. Please explain what a Coming of Age story is and how Barrio Boy meets the requirements to be considered a Coming of Age story.

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