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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 is the Grandfather's name?

2. Who is the Awful Grandmother's washerwoman?

3. What shape is the house the family stays in in Acapulco?

4. What do the children wear at the beach to protect their skin?

5. Who is the daughter of the washerwoman?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the nice lifestyle shared by Uncle Baby and Aunty Ninfa.

2. Describe the childhood of the Awful Grandmother and what role rebozos played in her life.

3. Why does Celaya's afternoon out with her mother turn into a family crisis?

4. Describe Narciso Reyes.

5. Who are Celaya's father and two uncles and what type of business do they have in Chicago?

6. How is the Grandmother conflicted by what she wants for her family and what she is physically able to provide?

7. Describe Celaya's house and its furnishings.

8. Why is the girl, Candelaria, pressed into service for the Grandmother?

9. Who is Candelaria?

10. Who is Antonieta Araceli and how do the cousins upset her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the overall ethnic culture for the book. What influences does ethnicity have on Cisneros' novel? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues reflected in the work?

Essay Topic 2

The author is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphor, and irony, then briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 3

Create a character study of Inocencio. What are his physical characteristics? What are his motivations? What are his fears? What are his dreams? What else can you say about Inocencio?

(see the answer keys)

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