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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 happened every evening in Mexico City in 1910?

2. What does the Awful Grandmother agree to do?

3. What was the Grandmother's disposition when the family moved to Chicago?

4. What is Inocencia's only daughter's name?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Celaya's encounter with the Grandmother's ghost in Inocencio's hospital room.

2. What are the emotional reasons that Soledad hates Celaya?

3. What were the "Ten Tragic Days"?

4. What is Narciso's relationship with Soledad when they begin having sex?

5. How does Fina feel about her mother, Soledad, after her father dies?

6. What advice did people give Soledad about taking care of herself as a young woman?

7. What role does storytelling play in the family's life?

8. What are the Grandmother's real intentions regarding the house in San Antonio?

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

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

Explain the significance of the book's title--CARAMELO. Why did Cisneros choose this title? Is there an understood message in the title? Is there another title you can suggest that might be more appropriate?

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one theme in the novel. Identify at least two themes in the story and then cite an example to support each theme.

(see the answer keys)

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