View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Gabriel Olondriz tells Olivia he is sorry that he has told the story of the government's corruption so often that it has lost something, what does he tell her it has lost?

2. How much money does Marco tell Gardo he wants in order to produce the Bible Gardo seeks?

3. What natural phenomenon has been rumored to arrive in the area as Gardo and Olivia are traveling to Colva Prison

4. When Olivia meets Gabriel Olondriz in Colva Prison, she says that he is not just weak, but he is what?

5. What do the boys figure out the slash in the code means?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are all of the ways in which Senator Zapanta's property compound is protected?

2. What features of the prison result in Olivia's pronouncement of the place as a "hell" (100)?

3. The first two paragraphs of the Star Extra newspaper report included within the novel suggest that the police will soon find the money stolen from Senator Zapanta's house. Why are the police confident in their ability to find the money?

4. Of what crimes was Gabriel Olondriz falsely accused after his attempt to expose Senator Zapanta's corruption?

5. When the boys are fleeing their small room by jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Rat says, "Under us and all around us, though, the world was full of noise" (178). To what noises is he referring?

6. How does Rat describe his relationship with Father Juilliard and how does this relationship affect Rat's decision to steal money from the school's safe?

7. What is seed-corn money and why does Senator Zapanta's theft of that money ultimately cost the poor twice as much as that seed-corn sum?

8. When Olivia and Gardo meet Gabriel Olondriz inside Colva Prison, Olivia states that the old man is dying. What facts does she cite as leading her to this conclusion?

9. When the police return to the dumpsite in search of the boys, what plan does Rat suggest?

10. In what ways does Raphael seem to have lingering negative effects from his experiences within the police station?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Raphael, one protagonist of Trash, to Gardo, another protagonist of the narrative. What is the author's purpose in providing these two protagonists and in using their respective narration sections in order to get across his desired messages? Provide concrete details from both novels in order to support your claims

Essay Topic 2

The theme of power is one that comes up often within the novel's narrative, particularly in relation to dumpsite boys' feelings of powerlessness and their realizations about the enormous power that the government wields recklessly. Choose three instances when power is wielded by a particular character or organization within the novel. Discuss how these instances help to shape the author's message regarding power.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss how the themes of truth, lies, and hypocrisy are interwoven within Andy Mulligan's novel Trash. Create a strong, specific claim and support it with concrete details from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,164 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample