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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. Where does Tita Chato say Tito Danilo is in "Bravery As If it Were My Own"?

2. When did Spain cede the Philippines to the U.S.?

3. Mia says in "Let's Do It" that the Philippines is the only country in the world where it is still illegal to do what, in "Let's Do It"?

4. What score does Jay get for his performance in karaoke in "Everyone Loses Their Shit"?

5. What sport does Jay recall playing with Jun in “Headfirst Across the Muddy Grass”?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Reyna meet Jun?

2. Where did Jun go after his father kicked him out of his home? For how long did he stay there?

3. How did Jun come to live with Reyna?

4. Where do Jay's aunts take him in “To Flood"? How is this setting described?

5. What does Jay learn about Jun in “New Life"?

6. What arrangements has Mia made in “Let’s Do It"?

7. Where do Jay and Grace go in “New Life"? Why?

8. When was Reyna separated from her family? How and why did this happen?

9. Why is Jay's memory/flashback significant in “Headfirst Across the Muddy Grass"?

10. Why does Jay come to hope for the best in “A Complete Waste"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of grief in Patron Saints of Nothing. How do each of the characters in this novel grieve differently? How does Jay's uncovering of the truth around Jun's death affect his grief? How does Grace demonstrate her grief over the loss of her brother?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the characters of Jay and Jun in Patron Saints of Nothing. How would you describe each character's family relationships? How did their views and perspectives differ? What united the cousins?

Essay Topic 3

Examine and discuss journalism and the quest for truth as themes/motifs in Patron Saints of Nothing. What characters in the novel are connected to these themes? How do these characters influence Jay? How does the meaning of truth change for Jay in the course of the novel?

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