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. What is Esperanza comparing in her family?

2. How does Esperanza feel about the house on Mango Street?

3. In Spanish what does she feel like her name means?

4. Who does she warn Nenny and Esperanza to stay away from?

5. Who is the author of The House on Mango Street?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Esperanza believe that the boys and girls in her neighborhood live in separate worlds?

2. How does Louie’s cousin get the Cadillac?

3. Why does she take a rice sandwich to school?

4. Why is Cathy’s family moving out of the neighborhood?

5. What happens in this vignette?

6. Why doesn’t Esperanza want to dance?

7. What does she mean by: “That is how it goes and goes”?

8. What does Esperanza get in this chapter that she’s been wanting?

9. What happens to Angel Vargas?

10. Why doesn’t Alicia want to take over her mother’s role?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the vignettes are a discussion of family. How important is family to Esperanza? How does she feel about her family?

Essay Topic 2

Esperanza is dissatisfied with her life, or at least her living situation. Why is she dissatisfied? What does she want? And, will she or won’t she most likely succeed?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the following quote: "When you leave you must remember to come back for the others. A circle, understand? You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can't erase what you know. You can't forget who you are...Then I didn't know what to say. It was as if she could read my mind, as if she knew what I had wished for, and I felt ashamed for having made such a selfish wish" (Chapter 41, pg. 105). Why does Esperanza feel ashamed, and what for?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 655 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample