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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. What does Rodriguez think of his parents' ideas on religion?

2. What happens to Rodriguez as a result of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's assassination?

3. When Rodriguez applies for teaching jobs, what happens?

4. When he is a child, what do people say about Rodriguez's complexion?

5. How do Rodriguez's friends affect his religious practices?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Rodriguez feel about white students' attitudes toward affirmative action?

2. What does Rodriguez think about the current system of affirmative action? Give two examples he uses to support his argument.

3. What does Rodriguez decide to do about a job?

4. What kind of social life does Rodriguez have? Does he have lots of friends and girlfriends?

5. What does Rodriguez think about the Civil Rights Movement?

6. How does Rodriguez handle applying for teaching positions?

7. How does Rodriguez overcome his attitudes about dark skin? Give two specific examples.

8. Rodriguez looks at the students of the 1960s and 1970s from a teacher's perspective. What does he see as the difference between them?

9. How do Rodriguez's ideas about dark skin change as he grows up? Give specific examples.

10. Now that he is older, how do people respond to Rodriguez's skin color?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rodriguez clearly sees books as something powerful and potentially dangerous. Early on in the book, Rodriguez describes himself as being afraid to learn to read because he was aware of the power of books. Later, he describes his mother asking him what was in all those books and why he needed to read all of them. At the end of the book, he describes his nephew, who is reading, as someone who may cause trouble.

Part One: What has happened in his life to lead him to that conclusion? Give specific examples.

Part Two: Do you think other people in the book would agree with his conclusion? Why or why not? Give specific examples.

Essay Topic 2

Rodriguez claims that it is his education that made him successful. That is the reason he is writing this history of his education.

Part One: Find examples that prove his point. How is the person he is today a result of getting a good education?

Part Two: Find examples that disprove his point. What other advantages does he have (for example, where he lives, people he knows, personal characteristics) that could have led him to be successful even without a great education?

Part Three: Decide for yourself -- did Rodriguez's education make him successful? Explain your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

Rodriguez is told that men behave in one way and women behave in another way. He is embarrassed because based on those standards, he acts more like a woman than a man.

Part One: How does Rodriguez's family define male and female behavior? Why do you think they have those opinions?

Part Two: Do the characters in the book follow those guidelines for male and female behavior? What happens to characters who do not follow the guidelines? What happens to characters who do follow the guidelines? What is Rodriguez saying about gender roles?

(see the answer keys)

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