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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. On the journey to the train station, what is this wagon disguised as?

2. When Mama and Esperanza pass through customs, what words are stamped on their documents?

3. Who made the first cut at harvest time?

4. What was the issue over which the Mexican Revolution was fought?

5. What detail about the camp makes Marta realize how little privacy she will have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the "line up" of dolls in Esperanza's room represent?

2. How does Esperanza'a reaction to her fellow travelers on the family trip from Mexico to California compare or contrast to her mother's reaction to them?

3. What is it about the migrant worker camp that is difficult for Esperanza?

4. What has Papa said about Tio Luis and Tio Marco that suggest that they are not men he admires?

5. When Esperanza and Miguel get off the train at a temporary stop, Miguel explains a scenario that is apparently inexplicable to Esperanza. What is this scenario?

6. How does Papa impart his love of the land to Esperanza?

7. Mama seems quick to interpret Esperanza's cut finger as a omen involving her husband. Why might she be preoccupied with his safety at this time?

8. How does Miguel show his allegiance to his family in the midst of the fire?

9. When Esperanza talks with her uncles in her father's office, why does the condition of her father's desk bother her?

10. When Esperanza sees Tio Luis in her father's office, why is Esperanza unhappy to see Tio Luis wearing Papa's belt buckle?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, the female characters are crocheting lace, teaching crocheting, giving crocheted gifts. Sometimes it is the actual crocheted article that is important; at other times, the activity itself is emphasized. What might crocheting symbolize, or come to symbolize, to the women of El Rancho de las Rosas?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the time span of the story from harvest to harvest. How does the author's use of nature's cycle help her narrative?

Essay Topic 3

How might the concept of family be part of a theme of Esperanza Rising?

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This section contains 752 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample