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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 would Tata take Allende and her brothers sometimes?

2. What were Paula's last words to Allende before slipping into a coma?

3. About whom does Allende have a frightening dream?

4. What does Allende do after Paula has been in the hospital for 100 days?

5. What was Meme's special gift?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Allende's grandmother, Meme's special gifts.

2. What is Paula's initial diagnosis and how does Allende feel when she realizes the nature of her daughter's illness?

3. How do Allende and Ernesto differ in their outlooks for Paula's condition?

4. Describe Tio Ramon's infatuation with Paula.

5. Why did Allende and her family have such a difficult time adapting to life in Caracas?

6. What does Allende recall about the political unrest in Lebanon where the family was living in the late 1950s?

7. What does the author call this section of the book?

8. Why is Allende so adamant about pushing the doctors to wean Paula off oxygen?

9. What were Allende's political beliefs and how did she feel about President Salvador Allende?

10. How does Allende describe her time in Caracas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What was the nature of the military takeover in Chile in the 1970s? Explain the political climate as well as the impact of the military coups on average citizens like Allende and her family. What is Allende's view on this time period in her life?

Essay Topic 2

As a young girl, Allende loved to escape her world through reading and telling stories and this becomes an important theme throughout the book. Name at least two other themes in the journal entries and cite two examples for each to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Allende lived a life of relative privilege and experiences as part of a diplomatic family. How did her experiences influence her as a person? How did the experiences influence her writing? Can you cite any examples?

(see the answer keys)

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