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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. Who does Maricela meet that she feels she can talk to?

2. What is Nora’s cultural heritage?

3. Who created the Biceps R Us nickname?

4. What does Virgil’s father promise he will buy?

5. What did Sae Young and her husband buy when they arrived in the U.S.?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Virgil eventually feel pity for his father?

2. What is the point of the program for teen mothers?

3. Explain what happens during the rainstorm.

4. Describe Curtis, as he is now, in terms of his priorities.

5. What brings Sae Young back out into the world, and why?

6. Explain Sae Young’s life prior to her “accident”?

7. Why does everyone in the garden want to help the girls in the chapter “Maricela”?

8. Explain why Virgil becomes angry and ashamed at his father.

9. What causes Sae Young to feel a part of the community again?

10. What is Curtis trying to show through the growth of the tomatoes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of Ana and Amir. What are their similarities? What are their differences? How do these characters lead readers to different lessons pertaining to the power of human kind?

Essay Topic 2

Maricela’s story is a very powerful one in the novel. Describe Maricela’s life at the beginning of the novel. Why does she feel so persecuted? What does she hope for? Who changes this, and why? How does the garden help her to begin to accept her state, and her future?

Essay Topic 3

What do you think the author was trying to get across with this novel? What was the primary theme? Was the author successful? How did the book make you feel? Did the author convince you of his primary point in writing the novel? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 752 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample