1. How does Rodriguez feel about writing? How does he feel about writing about his family? How has he handled it in the past? How is he handling it now?

2. How does Rodriguez explain psychiatry to his mother? Does she understand? Why or why not? How does that discussion connect to his book and what he is willing to tell her about the book?

3. How do people respond to Rodriguez's skin color when he is younger?

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

5. What conversation does Rodriguez have with a colleague about teaching positions? What decision does Rodriguez make as a result of that conversation?

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

7. As a teacher, how does Rodriguez interact with these other minority students? Why does he act that way?

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

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

10. As more minority students attend college, what does Rodriguez notice about their relationship to their culture? Give specific examples.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rodriguez says that writing is difficult and writing about his family is very difficult. When he is younger, he makes up elaborate lies about his family. As an adult, he chooses to write this book about his family, which is intended to be a realistic portrayal of his relationship with them.

Part One: If writing is difficult and he does it anyway, what does that tell you about what he has to say?

Part Two: Why is writing about his family more difficult than other types of writing? Why did he lie about his family when he was younger? Is he telling the truth about them now? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Rodriguez spends a lot of time analyzing his education and how it affected him.

Part One: What lessons can a minority student draw from his story? What lessons can any student draw from his story?

Part Two: What lessons can the parent of a minority student draw from his story? What lessons can the parent of any student draw from his story?

Part Three: What lessons can the teachers of minority students draw from his story? What lessons can any teacher draw from his story?

Based on that, to what group(s) of people would you recommend this book? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Rodriguez talks a lot about the difference between public and private language.

Part One: How does he define the difference between public and private language? Analyze what he is saying - don't just say that his public language is English and his private language is Spanish. What really defines the differences between the two types of language?

Part Two: Do people have to be bilingual to have a private language? Why or why not? Use examples from the book to support your argument.

Part Three: Are there times when two characters are speaking the same language but not really communicating or understanding each other? What does that say about private and public language?

(see the answer keys)

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