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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 was Allende's home at the time?

2. What position had Allende's father held in Peru?

3. What did Allende's mother do to make some extra money?

4. Why does Allende decide to write down her history and stories?

5. How many years was Ernesto's father in exile in South America?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was life like for the newly-married Allende and her first husband, Michael?

2. How does Allende's distress about Paula exhibit in dreams?

3. How did Shakespeare's plays influence Allende's writing?

4. Compare Allende's physical surroundings with her internal state.

5. What information does Allende provide to begin her book?

6. How does Allende explain her love for writing and telling stories?

7. What was Allende's job during the early days of her first marriage?

8. Describe Allende's parents.

9. What was the influence of Uncle Pablo in Allende's life?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the role of family in Allende's life. Explain why family seems to be especially important to Latin people and cultures. Cite three examples in the book that support this position.

Essay Topic 2

Allende is a creative woman who lives an unconventional life. Do you think Allende could indulge her idiosyncrasies because her family's lifestyle allowed it? Or would Allende have found some outlet for her quirkiness regardless of her station in life? How much is financial status an issue in living the life that one pleases as opposed to the life one is obligated to live?

Essay Topic 3

Describe some of the settings for the novel. Be sure to include geography, time period and any pertinent popular culture events.

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This section contains 999 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample