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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. To what police station is Raphael taken upon his arrest?

2. Whose daughter is Pia Dante?

3. How many pesos does the wallet contain that Raphael finds on Thursday?

4. What is the name of the dumpsite in which Raphael and the other dumpsite boys scavenge?

5. What is Pascal Aguila's cause of death?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the boys jump off of the train before it pulls into the station?

2. Describe the scene in which Raphael is taken from his home and is forced into the police car.

3. List three physical changes that occur within Raphael's body as a result of his terror at being hauled away from his house by the police.

4. When Raphael says that he and Gardo might as well be brothers, what evidence does he give to support this conclusion?

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

6. What does Grace say about where she imagines Pia Dante is now?

7. What had Father Juilliard's original intentions been with regard to the Pascal Aguila Mission School and how had those intentions changed later?

8. Describe Raphael's house in Behala.

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

10. What reasons does Gardo give for wanting to be patient and putting off their visit to the train station to check out what is inside the locker?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In so-called Developed countries, there is often a counter-cultural drive to move away from materialism and to focus on what 'really' matters. However, Raphael's loving descriptions of his few possessions and Rat's dreams of making his living by buying a fishing boat instead highlight the importance of owning certain objects and the ways in which we require at least a few material possessions in order to help define our identities. Discuss the conflict between these two points of view concerning materialism, drawing on examples from the novel to prove your claim.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how the use of multiple points of view to tell the story of Trash helps the author get across his intended themes and messages. Include concrete details and examples from the text in order to support your points.

Essay Topic 3

A great number of Trash's narrators refer to the subject of trust at different points within the novel. Trace these mentions, explain each instance's circumstances, and discuss the overall message the author sends about the subject of trust. Include concrete details from the novel to support your points.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 997 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample