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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which part of the Da Ros home remains intact after the fire?

2. What does América decide to name the baby?

3. What holiday do Kyra, Delaney, Jordan, and other residents of Arroyo Blanco Estates celebrate together?

4. What does Kyra give as her main reason for supporting the construction of a stone wall?

5. Who gets angry when Delaney jokes about the Thanksgiving turkey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters' names are symbolic in this story. Choose two characters and describe what their names symbolize. Why would Boyle choose these particular names for the characters?

Essay Topic 2

América eventually finds work at the labor exchange. What sort of work does she find? Do you think this particular form of work is ironic for América? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Critical events in Boyle's story revolve around the Thanksgiving holiday, and the term "pilgrim" is mentioned at least twice throughout the story. Why do you think Boyle chose Thanksgiving and pilgrims in this particular book? What sort of meanings are attached to the terms? How do those meanings relate to the themes of the book?

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This section contains 233 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample