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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. Of what objects does Father Juilliard say that Rat's fingers remind him?

2. What is Rat's real name?

3. What causes Gardo to consent to a plan to visit the train station, even though he has been reluctant to do so?

4. After Raphael decides not to tell the police about the leather bag quite yet, who tells the police about his find instead?

5. What does Father Juilliard say he has to use in order to bribe the children to attend school?

Short Essay Questions

1. At what point does Raphael realize that the contents of the bag must be hugely important to the police?

2. What are three cases that Pascal Aguila took on and won during his career?

3. What is different about the day the police come to orchestrate the search for the leather bag, versus a normal day within the dumpsite?

4. Who was Pascal Aguila?

5. Describe Raphael's house in Behala.

6. What is the main point of Grace's piece of narration from the story?

7. Why do Raphael and Gardo continue working nonchalantly after they find the leather bag full of money?

8. What is a "special" (18) and how does the idea of a "special" widen the scope of the reader's understanding of Trash's setting?

9. What reason does Grace give for Pia Dante not having lived with her father, Jose Angelico, while he was still alive?

10. What does Raphael say is the reason for Jose Angelico's arrest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the significance of the novel's title and of the repeated references to it throughout the novel. What is the author's purpose in including the motif of trash, both in the title and throughout the narrative of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Few characters within the novel have particularly strong relationships with members of their biological families and by omitting key relationships with inherent biological ties, the author can redefine the notion of family within the narrative. Choose three relationships within the novel that demonstrate familial bonds, describe the circumstances surrounding these bonds, and discuss how these relationships fuel the author's message about the definition of family.

Essay Topic 3

Determine the author's message regarding the power of choice within the novel Trash. Support your claim with quotes from the narrative. Be sure to use a variety of characters and situations to back up your arguments.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,072 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample