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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. Which one of the narrator's uncles is best off financially?

2. Why is Candelaria removed from the Awful Grandmother's house?

3. Who owns the house in Acapulco?

4. Where is Candelaria left while on the family trip?

5. How many children did the person in #67 have?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the Awful Grandmother's life after her mother died.

2. Why does the family rely on little white lies?

3. What does the family do when they arrive in Acapulco?

4. Describe Narciso Reyes.

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

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

7. How was Senora Regina both kind and cruel to Soledad?

8. How many children are in Celaya's family and what distinction does she have?

9. How does the Grandmother try to hurt Mother by telling her a secret?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain Cisneros' use of regionalism in the book. Cite examples of at least two different instances of regionalism and explain why the author used them where she did.

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

Cisneros uses more than one instance of irony in the story. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the story and note why they are examples of irony. What is the major irony in the story? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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