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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. How much money does Carolina try to give the man she sees walking along the riverbank?

2. What does Carolina buy from the butcher shop on June 23rd?

3. How often does Carolina sweep her room?

4. Who are Baianos?

5. Which person is afraid they might go crazy?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Carolina feel when she has no money to feed her children?

2. Why does Carolina decide to be a gypsy when she grows old?

3. Who is Dona Rosa?

4. How does Vera feel when she gets new shoes on June 21st?

5. How does Carolina feel when her son is accused of attempting to rape a young girl?

6. How does Carolina feel about her heritage?

7. How does Carolina feel about Father's Day?

8. Why does Carolina never show remorse for harshly punishing her children?

9. How do Carolina's children react when there is little food to eat?

10. Why does Carolina have so few friends?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Child of the Dark is written as a series of diary entries. Carolina records each date along with the events that happen on that day. Sometimes she includes poetry or song lyrics. Write an essay that goes into depth and analyzes the writing style of Carolina Maria de Jesus. Think about the perspective she uses. What is the sentence structure of her entries like? What type of vocabulary does she use in her writing? Which adjectives and descriptors does she tend to use? Be sure to provide examples to support your work.

Essay Topic 2

Carolina writes about her many dreams. Several of these dreams are impossible for someone in her income bracket. Write an essay that explores the dreams that Carolina has for her family. Expand upon why these dreams are significant to her. Think about the things that she wants most in life, and explain why she wants them. Be sure to provide examples to support your work.

Essay Topic 3

The relationships of men and women are tenuous at best in certain parts of the book. Carolina often writes of domestic violence and other similar conflicts. Write an essay that analyzes whether or not Carolina's portrayal of the male/female dynamic is accurate. Think about some of the incidents Carolina writes about. How do they pertain to the subject of male and female relationships? Is she fair when she writes of such conflicts, or is she biased? Use examples from the book to support your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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