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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. Which childhood friend did Reymundo run into in prison?

2. Why did Reymundo agree to an affair with a homosexual man named Freddy?

3. Who was the young woman who took over the role of Reymundo's big sister and mother figure in Chapter 39?

4. Which one of Reymundo's old friends tried to kill Reymunco in Chapter 36?

5. When Reymundo was promoted to Junior King in the Latin Kings, he sold marijuana and committed burglaries with whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Reymundo no longer want to join a gang, and why did he go through with it anyway?

2. How did the Kings' leadership deal with Lucky who began to violate gang rules and confront gang leadership?

3. Why did the Kings decide to get revenge on a coalition of other gangs for Morena's death instead of the Imperials who actually killed her?

4. Why did Rosie pretend to be in love with Reymundo?

5. How does Reymundo threaten Blanca into having sex with him?

6. Why did Reymundo brutally shoot and wound Agila and how did Loca get Reymundo's life spared for the incident?

7. What was the incredible bit of luck Reymundo had when viciously confronted by a Latin Lovers gang member?

8. How did Loco show that he had a lot of faith in Reymundo who was such a new gang member?

9. Why did the white, middle-class kids in the suburbs not make it in gangs?

10. What were Reymundo's life and status in the gang when he started to hang out with the Kings' leaders?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The theme of struggling with personal identity is an important one in this novel. Describe how it extends through setting, character and issues and provide examples for each.

Essay Topic 2

Violence takes on an almost human persona in this book. What was the source of the violence? How pervasive was the violence among the gangs? What is this literary technique called? Cite examples that support this position.

Essay Topic 3

Create a character study of Reymundo's mother. What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Reymundo's mother?

(see the answer keys)

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