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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. What branch of the armed forces did Harriet move to be closer to?

2. After Harriet's confrontation with General Arroyo, what beverage does she drink with the old gringo inside the Pullman car?

3. What animal do some of the soldiers compare the old gringo to?

4. What does the old gringo think about after he witnesses the explosion?

5. Who organizes the cleanup of the hacienda fire?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Harriet recall about the weather in Mexico during her time there?

2. What thoughts do Harriet and the old gringo have when they think they hear gunshots during the fiesta?

3. What happens when the old gringo fights back against the enemy soldiers that attack him and General Arroyo as they are heading to Zacatecas?

4. What do the guerrilla soldiers use their captured train for?

5. What childhood memory does Arroyo have of don Graciano?

6. How does the general respond to the coin the old gringo has just shot?

7. What reaction does Harriet have to seeing that the jewels she has set out have vanished?

8. What vanities does the old gringo have, and how do the other soldiers respond to them?

9. How does the old gringo feel about Harriet Winslow's dreams?

10. What does Harriet remember about the boy who helped her cross the border into America?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Harriet's mother is a depressed and depressing old woman in the beginning of the novel. Describe Harriet's mother and explain how she helped push Harriet away from America to the wilds of Mexico. Then, explain whether or not Harriet escaped her mother's fate and cite examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

General Arroyo had a very rough childhood leading up to his days in the revolution. Write out a time line of events that pushed Arroyo toward his position as a revolutionary. Then, explain how Arroyo's childhood problems came back to haunt him while he was living his military life.

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, Harriet has two men that she views as a father figure. Compare and contrast the role that each of these men played in Harriet's life, and explain why she has the conflicted emotions that she does about who she should consider her "father".

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This section contains 833 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample