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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. Who does Jay ask first about the missing letters in “Not an Answer to the Question”?

2. What does Mia say she is studying in “You Can Hold Onto Me if You Need To"?

3. By what name does Grace accidentally call Jay in "All That it Means"?

4. Who wrote the novel Night that Jay read in sophomore English class?

5. What Tagalog word means "gifts for the family" in "Like a Fog" (56)?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Jay live? Where was he born and where did he grow up?

2. How did Jay feel about his family's religion and church?

3. What does Jay promise Grace in “All That it Means"? Why?

4. Who is Rodrigo Duterte and how does he factor into the novel?

5. What happens when Jay gives money to the beggar girl in “A New Silence Arrives"?

6. Why does Jay begin to panic after arriving at the airport in “A New Silence Arrives"?

7. How are Angel and Grace's demeanors described in “A New Silence Arrives"?

8. What do Jun's letters symbolize to Jay?

9. What event does Jun describe in his letter that Jay reads on the plane in “The Strength of My Conviction"?

10. What does Jay's father say about his feelings of the Philippines in "Things Inside"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of coming-of-age in Patron Saints of Nothing. In what ways does Jay grow as a character throughout his journey? How do his experiences in the Philippines change his perspective of the world? How is this theme reflected in Jay's conversation with his father at the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the culture, history, politics, and society of the Philippines. How does the novel reflect upon Filipino history and the effects of colonization? What aspects of its political history are highlighted? How is Filipino culture demonstrated in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss three symbols in Patron Saints of Nothing. What does this symbol represent? How does each symbol connect to the characters in the novel? What themes are connected to each theme?

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