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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 is the main character in the next story Molina tells?

2. Who might be the main character of the story Molina is telling?

3. Who is thinking about the story from the last chapter again?

4. What does he learn from the answer to #73?

5. What does Valentin think about this story?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the first wife of the man in the story?

2. What does Molina propose to the Warden in order to increase the chances of Valentin opening up to him?

3. What does the servant girl do for the man who goes off to war?

4. Who is the author of the letter Valentin receives?

5. What does the letter Valentin receives reveal to him?

6. What happens to the chorus girl who tells Leni she is pregnant?

7. Describe the two men who are being held in the prison in the beginning of the story.

8. Why does the man end up in the hospital in the movie story?

9. What does Valentin have to say about being a man?

10. What does the zombie woman do to the husband?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The format of this story is much different from other stories and novels. From the lack of description and narrative to the different punctuation for the dialogue, it seems the reader has to work harder in order to grasp the importance of each scene.

Part 1: Why do you think Puig decided to use the dialogue format he did?

Part 2: Why might Puig have decided to leave out the traditional narrative sections as one might see in other books?

Part 3: How did the new structure affect the way you read the book? In what ways was reading this book more challenging? Less challenging?

Essay Topic 2

The stories Molina shares seem to be without any connection to the men or to the questioning Molina is supposed to be doing.

Part 1: What is the story that seems to relate most to Molina and Valentin? Why?

Part 2: Why do you think Molina chooses to tell these stories to Valentin instead of directly asking questions?

Part 3: Choose one story, describe it, and then discuss why Molina might have chosen to tell that story at the time.

Essay Topic 3

The theme of desire is another larger idea in this story, with both men desiring things outside of their cell as well as within their cell.

Part 1: What are Molina's desires at the beginning of the story?

Part 2: What are Valentin's desires at the beginning of the story?

Part 3: How do the desires of the men change as the story progresses? Are some desires different? Or are desires simply added to their lives?

(see the answer keys)

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