View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Mrs. Milagros describe watching Camilo go to his room where he will read his letter?

2. Which of the following best describes Mrs. Milagros?

3. Which of the boarders does Mrs. Milagros claim is most affected by the letters?

4. How does Mrs. Milagros believe she should respond to Camilo's letters?

5. What does Mrs. Milagros do with the letter that arrives for Camilo in Part I, Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part I, Chapter 6, how do the people staying at the boarding house begin to talk about Rosaura?

2. In Part I, Chapter 2, what are the signs that Camilo may have some unusual habits or character traits?

3. In Part I, Chapter 7, how does Mrs. Milagros come to read the contents of the final love letter Camilo receives?

4. From Mrs. Milagros' description of Camilo in Part I, Chapter 1, and further on in the text, what sense does she give the reader that he may have committed a crime?

5. How does the author create an immediate sense of urgency and suspense in Part I, Chapter 1?

6. What new restoration project does Camilo describe in Part I, Chapter 5? How did he receive this work?

7. How do others at the boarding house initially react to the letters that Camilo receives?

8. Why does Camilo claim that he has no family? How does this affect his initial meeting with Mrs. Milagros?

9. How does Mrs. Milagros first see an image of Rosaura?

10. In the Part I, Chapter 2, how does Mrs. Milagros characterize Camilo as a boarding house guest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Foreshadowing is used from the very beginning of the book, as mention is made that an investigation is happening, though the reader knows nothing of the crime or even the players involved. Describe two other ways in which foreshadowing and other ways of looking at time non-linearly contribute to the text.

Essay Topic 2

Rosaura's letters are important documents in the text, but other documents also become important. Which documents are central to the plot?

Essay Topic 3

Mrs. Milagros is intensely frustrated by Camilo's lack of gumption when he receives the letter from Rosa telling him farewell. Her repressed romantic notions have entangled her in Camilo's love affair. She wants a happy ending, and she's willing to risk herself to obtain the happy ending for Camilo. She cannot understand Camilo's reaction to this letter, but she assumes it is because he is not like other men, not because the story does not add up. The reader, seeing the story from several perspectives, may disagree. How are the characters' different perspectives used to shape the storyline?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,256 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample