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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 Anita when some black Volkswagons appear?

2. What do the men in the Volkwagons want?

3. What is the code name used for the person who likes young girls as sexual objects?

4. What does Chucha often see in her dreams?

5. What does Anita hear her father talk about on the phone that she finds confusing?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mami ask Anita not to do?

2. Upon what occasion do the people living in the compound decide to have a party?

3. What do the secret police do and say at the compound, and what worries Anita?

4. Why do parents not like their daughters to go out in public places?

5. How do Anita and Carla react to Carla's leaving, and how does Mami comfort them?

6. What does Papi say when he returns from work?

7. What does Papi explain to Anita about Carla when Anita gets home?

8. How does Anita feel when Oscar comes over to play with Sammy?

9. Where is Anita at the opening of the story, and what is she doing?

10. Who comes into the classroom and what does the teacher do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are a number of interesting questions raised by "Before We Were Free."

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea or concept you think may have been a part of the Alvarez's agenda. Analyze that idea as it appears throughout the book and discuss Alvarez's probable agenda concerning that idea.

3. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

4. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

5. Research the life of Julia Alvarez to see if her life may have influenced her writing and, if so, where and how?

Essay Topic 2

Often authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Julia Alvarez.

2. What in Alvarez's background may have helped her in writing "Before We Were Free"? What may have influenced the way she depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his or her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

Essay Topic 3

1. What is foreshadow? How many incidences of foreshadow are in "Before We Were Free?" How does foreshadow contribute to a book's suspense?

2. Discuss an example of foreshadow in "Before We Were Free," including why you believe it is foreshadow. Include examples from the book to illustrate your answer.

3. How do you think most people react to uncertainty in their lives? Use examples from "Before We Were Free" and your own live to support your opinion.

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