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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. When Magda went to meet a boy behind the house and Rebecca was putting things away at Grandma Rosa's and Manny stayed home to watch Pedi, where was Manuel?

2. Why did Manny and Albert sit outside to eat even though it was too cold for most students to do so?

3. Why did Lencho prevent his boxers from lifting weights?

4. 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?

5. What author was Miss Van der Meer referencing when she said that Lencho was a regular Hotspur?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How did the various family members act differently from one another at the wake for Grandma Rosa that was held after the funeral?

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

6. When Magda came home and her family rushed her to the hospital, what symptoms was she exhibiting and to what prognosis did her symptoms point?

7. When the fight was not going well for Lencho and Miguel screamed at him to attack Boise, what reason did Manny give for wanting to scream at Miguel to shut his mouth?

8. 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?

9. Why was Manny particularly concerned about his parents finding out about Nardo getting drunk and sneaking back into the house?

10. When Grandma Rosa emerged from the house while Manny and Nardo were working in her hard, what memories did she tell the boys about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Discuss characters' fear of their own emotions within the novel's narrative. Create a strong, specific claim about the author's message regarding this topic and support your argument with concrete details from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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