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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 Eddie’s godmother feed him for lunch in Chapter 5?

2. What Spanish word from Chapter 6 translates in English to demon?

3. Who does Eddie go looking for in a gangster-ridden area in the beginning of Chapter 5?

4. What Spanish word from the vocabulary in Chapter 6 means to embrace or hug?

5. Who is at the hospital when Eddie arrives to visit José in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Eddie go to for advice in Chapter 6? Why?

2. What happens when Eddie goes to work for Mr. Stiles in Chapter 6?

3. What causes Eddie to flee from Holmes playground in Chapter 5?

4. How is Holmes playground described in Chapter 5?

5. Where do Coach and José invite Eddie to go with them in Chapter 7?

6. Who does Eddie encounter at the Navy recruitment office in Chapter 6? What impression does this make on Eddie?

7. What two choices does Eddie face in Chapter 6?

8. What does Eddie find at his apartment when he returns from the police station in Chapter 7?

9. What happens to cause Eddie to flee Angel’s home in Chapter 8?

10. How does Eddie attempt to eradicate the roaches in his apartment in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of poverty in the novel and the symbolism that supports this theme in Chapter 4. How is José’s getting stabbed symbolic of the power of the barrio to hold one down in life? What are examples of symbolism in other chapters that support this theme?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Eddie’s godmother in the narrative. What does the incident with Queenie reveal about Eddie's true nature? How does Eddie’s relationship with his godmother differ from his relationship with his mother or Aunt Delores?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the setting of Holmes playground in the novel. Where in the barrio is this setting located? Who are the regular “characters” in the setting? What does Samuel represent symbolically? What is Samuel’s relationship to Eddie?

(see the answer keys)

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