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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. What is the subject of one of Delaney's columns?

2. What does Delaney give to the person he hits?

3. Who eventually hires América for housecleaning work?

4. What does Candidó do to protect his family from the attackers?

5. What does Delaney do after lunch with Kyra?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the typical weekday morning routine for Kyra, Delaney, and Jordan.

2. Describe the flashback Candidó has regarding his encounter with the INS.

3. What does Candidó do after he realizes that the labor exchange has been torn down?

4. Describe América's experience looking for work at the labor exchange.

5. Describe Candidó's and América's experiences at Canoga Park.

6. Describe the circumstances in which Delaney meets Dominick Flood.

7. What do Kyra and Delaney do for a living?

8. What does Delaney discover when he develops the film in the Cherrystones' home? How does he recognize this person?

9. How does Kyra come to decide that the 'real' money is in developing rather than in real estate?

10. Describe América's interaction with the light-skinned Mexican at the labor exchange.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Candidó experiences flashbacks in this story that refer to his prior experiences with marriage and living in the United States. What do these flashbacks teach us about Candidó? What purpose do the flashbacks serve in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Identify the climax of this story and the series of events leading up to the climax. How do the characters respond to the climax? What does Boyle include in his story to insure that the climax will be as powerful and meaningful as possible?

Essay Topic 3

How is Boyle's story ultimately resolved? Do you think the plot is adequately resolved? In your opinion, what could have been added (or removed) to make it more meaningful?

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This section contains 681 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample