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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 was one fruit that did NOT grow on the tree Manny's grandfather had created by grafting many different branches together?

2. What simile did the author use to describe the weather on the day of Grandma Rosa's funeral?

3. What drink did Nardo go inside Grandma Rosa's to get when he and Manny were almost done with the yard work at Grandma Rosa's house?

4. What question did Malcolm Augustus, Chico's opponent, know the answer to when no one else in Manny's biology class had known?

5. What was the most serious consequence levied upon Lencho for losing the fight against Boise?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Miss Van der Meer's classroom represent the theme of racial inequality?

2. What actions did Manny hope Rebecca would take in response to Manuel's abusive actions that resulted in his being jailed?

3. What made Chico want to back out of his scheduled boxing match at the last minute?

4. What actions did Manuel take on the day Magda went to the hospital that were indicative of his usual tendency to take a hands-off approach to his family's problems?

5. What did Manuel do after he got out of bed and realized what had happened to Magda?

6. When Manny dreamt of Grandma Rosa the night before her funeral, what happened within his dream and how did he react once he woke up?

7. What did the argument between Magda and her mother Rebecca concerning Magda ruining her future show about Magda's character?

8. Why was Manny so reluctant to let Nardo go into Grandma Rosa's house to fix them some Kool-Aid?

9. Manny relates that his maternal grandfather died a few years back. What was his grandfather's health like before he died?

10. Why was it so important to Miguel that Lencho win the boxing match against Boise?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how the themes of truth and lies are interwoven within the novel’s narrative. Create a strong, specific claim and support it with concrete details from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

Victor Martinez cites one of his main literary influences as the poet William Carlos Williams, who is famous for his philosophy of literature that states, “There are no ideas but in things” (216). Discuss the meaning of this literary philosophy and explain how Parrot in the Oven displays its use. Use textual details to support your discussion.

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.

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