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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 special talent did Nardo's grandmother claim that he had?

2. What does the Spanish word "perico" (51) mean?

3. After Rebecca took Manny out of the pool hall, what did Manny see his father doing when he looked through the window at him?

4. Why did Manny decide to head back home after his altercation with the Garcia brothers was over?

5. At what did Manuel point to when he asked Manny, "Don't you think I know people like this?" (47)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the main reason Nardo was reluctant to work in the fields?

2. How does the theme of "otherness" emerge within the aftermath of the Immigration officers' removal of the illegal immigrants from the field?

3. How is the theme of racism demonstrated within the scene when Manny asks the secretary for his transcripts?

4. How did Mr. Hart give Manny $20 even though Manny had refused it?

5. What did Nardo's grandmother mean when she said, "Es muy vivo" about Nardo?

6. What parallel did Manny draw between his grandfather Ignacio's personality and his own personality?

7. What emotions did Nardo display while he watched the Mexican man pick peppers in the row next to his?

8. What is significant about how Rebecca behaved during the scene in which the police came into the Hernandez's home?

9. How does the theme of domestic violence arise sharply within the scene when Manuel returns from his two-day drinking binge?

10. What caused Rebecca to think that Manuel was somewhere in the pool hall even though Rico told her that Manuel had gone home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters within the novel have conflicted feelings about race--their own and others'. Choose at least three scenes in which the author demonstrates the complicated nature of race relations and use quotes from the novel to support your claims about the novel's treatment of race.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the treatment of the unconscious within the novel, in particular focusing on dreams and second sight. Why are these elements included by the author and what effect do they have on the reader's understanding of the novel's themes and messages? Use concrete details from the narrative to support your points.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Manny Hernandez, the protagonist of Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida, to Holden, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye. Which of the the messages sent by Victor Martinez and J.D. Salinger are the same and how do those messages differ? Provide concrete details from both novels in order to support your claims.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,528 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample