View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What insects bite Rafa and Carlos in Chapter 5?

2. What does "cocuyos" mean?

3. On what does Carlos get drunk in Chapter 6?

4. What is the name of the beggar in Carlos's neighborhood?

5. How old is Carlos in the anecdote with which chapter 1 opens?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Carlos wish he could have been a Viking?

2. How did Carlos's grandfather Amado die, and how old was he?

3. What are the various Christmas traditions at the Nieto house, as described in Chapter 10?

4. How do Cubans relate to a statue of Saint Lazarus, and what connection does Carlos have with one?

5. According to Chapter 7, what happened to Cuba after Fidel came to power?

6. Where does Carlos see the Cuba-shaped clouds, and how does he feel about them?

7. How do Louis XVI's staff members treat him and his family? Why?

8. Why does Louis XVI wish he could have afforded to be Pilate in the church murals?

9. Who is Mel Blanc, and how does Carlos feel about him?

10. What happened to Carlos's great-great-grandmother Butrón-Múgicas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the archetypal villains of the militia, Fidel, and Ernesto.

Essay Topic 2

Identify two symbols of fear in the book. How are they similar, and how are they different? What other symbolic significances do they carry? Support your opinions with details from the book as much as possible.

Essay Topic 3

Choose two symbols that signify unrelated concepts, and then, using your literary sensibilities, create some common ground between them based on the material you find in the book. Remember that symbols can carry many different levels of meaning and that you can espouse any position you are capable of defending.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 701 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample