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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. Besides his drinking, what was the other reason Manny's mother hated for Manny's father to go to the pool hall?

2. According to Manny, what did Mr. Hart's office smell like?

3. How did Nardo end up as the victor in the fight over the sacks of peppers in the row next to his?

4. What did Manny mean when he said, "I was of my grandpa Ignacio's line of useful blood?" (6)

5. What had the Garcia brothers done to make Manny's father so mad at them?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is ironic about Nardo being the one that "jeered at the [Immigration] officers" the loudest as the people were led away and put into vans?

3. What did Manuel do with the $20 he took from Manny's pocket?

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

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

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

7. What effect does the simile have on the reader when Manny saw a van coming toward the fields and described it as "approaching like a dog sneaking up on a bush" (13)?

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

9. What is the significance of Manuel's words to Manny after he snatched the $20l from Manny's pocket?

10. What kind of relationship did Manny's father and mother have?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the author's message regarding romantic love in the novel. State a clear and specific claim regarding this topic and support your claim using concrete details from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Examine the topic of work within the novel. Look at Manny's description of inheriting his grandfather Ignacio's "useful blood" (6) and the contrasting attitudes toward work displayed by Nardo and Manuel. Look also at other discussions of work and ambition in the novel, such as Manny's pronouncement of Albert's risky decision to join the boxing team since he was academically inclined, and pull concrete details from those examples to support your claims.

Essay Topic 3

Write a feminist criticism essay of the novel, using textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the treatment of gender roles in the book.

(see the answer keys)

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