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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. Who would become another child of Soledad's?

2. What happens between Narciso and Soledad when Soledad gets pregnant?

3. What does the Reyes family do at first when Soledad gets pregnant?

4. What does Narciso do when he travels so much for work?

5. What job did Soledad's son get in Chicago as an adult?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Celaya and how does she depose Soledad in Inocencio's affections?

2. Who is Ernie and what role does he play in Celaya's life?

3. Describe the chaos of the Mexican Revolution.

4. How does Inocencio attain his profession of upholsterer?

5. What lie did Narciso tell about his three missing ribs and what is the truth of the story?

6. What illness befalls the Grandmother and how does the family react after her death?

7. What type of child was Inocencio?

8. What advice does Narciso's father give him regarding Soledad?

9. What were the "Ten Tragic Days"?

10. Even though they both had behaved inappropriately, how did Narciso save Inocencio from a fate similar to his own?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Resentment seems to be an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is resentment in the Reyes family? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 2

The theme of evolving as an authentic person is an important one in the work in this book. Cite two examples of how Cisneros uses this theme in CARAMELO.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses some important instances of foreshadowing in the story. Explain what foreshadowing is and cite at least two examples, making sure to explain what makes each an example of foreshadowing.

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