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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. Why will Esperanza come back to Mango Street?

2. Who visits Earl on a regular basis?

3. How does Geraldo die?

4. Why does Esperanza believe that life is easier for Nenny?

5. Who is Elenita?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Esperanza hoping to hear when she has her fortune told?

2. Who is Geraldo?

3. What does it mean that both Esperanza is getting noticed by boys, and that she notices them watching her?

4. Why does Esperanza feel a special kinship with the trees outside her window?

5. How does Esperanza’s perspective affect the information readers are given in this chapter?

6. How are Esperanza and Minerva similar?

7. Why does Esperanza’s father call Sire a punk?

8. Is Sally any happier than she was living at home with her father?

9. Why does her Aunt Lupe tell her that writing will keep her free?

10. How does the phrase “no speak English” take on two meanings at the end of this vignette?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cisneros’s Personal Background

a. How do you think Cisneros’s upbringing influenced her content in The House on Mango Street?

b. What specific aspects of Esperanza’s life are reminiscent of Cisneros’s experience?

Essay Topic 2

What motifs reoccur in multiple vignettes? What do they represent? How are they used?

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

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