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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 tries to cover Rodriguez's lap when she wears a short dress to church?

2. What is a chonga?

3. What does Rodriguez lose while in grad school?

4. What is Rodriguez's mother always nagging her about?

5. What does Rodriguez say to people who are struggling to embrace themselves?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rodriguez realize when she gets to grad school?

2. Where does Rodriguez often go to seek solace?

3. Why does Rodriguez listen to the radio every night in middle school?

4. Who tries to stop Rodriguez from taking AP classes in high school?

5. What does Rodriguez buy in high school to try to gain proximity to whiteness?

6. What is voluntourism?

7. What poetry book does Rodriguez buy in high school?

8. Where was Rodriguez born?

9. What school does Rodriguez attend for grad school?

10. What is Rodriguez's experience with code-switching?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay exploring the significance of the title of the book. How does the title support the overall narrative tone and themes in the book, such as identity and representation? Be sure to include evidence from the text to support your thinking.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring Rodriguez's claim that knowledge is liberation. At what points in her life has this proved to be true?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring Rodriguez's experience in graduate school. In what ways was the experience both traumatizing and transformative for her?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 482 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample