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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. In Chapter 12, how does Bobby describe his disagreements with Rafaela?

2. How does Rafaela Cortez start each morning?

3. In Chapter 3, what genre of film does Gabriel say he appreciates?

4. What does Manzanar realize when he sees the second fire break out?

5. Why does Gabriel leave work in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. What history of Gabriel's work is given in Chapter 6?

2. What does Arcangel do when he sees a broken down truck holding up traffic in Chapter 11?

3. What happens during Gabriel's date with Emi in Chapter 3?

4. In Chapter 7, why does the crowd of people distrust Arcangel?

5. What does Gabriel say he will do if he wins the Pulitzer Prize?

6. How does the accident in Chapter 8 affect the characters of this novel?

7. How does Buzzworm describe the work he does?

8. Why does Rafaela steal from Dona Maria in Chapter 18?

9. Why does Gabriel say things haven't seem right in Chapter 9?

10. In Chapter 13, what is Buzzworm's plan for improving Los Angeles neighborhoods?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the role of the news vs. entertainment in society in "Tropic of Orange"? How does the author turn this into a major theme? What does she suggest about the news?

Essay Topic 2

The official government plays a very small physical role in this novel, yet their presence and purpose is frequently commented on, or alluded to. What is the role of the government in "Tropic of Orange"? How do the actions of the government affect the conflict in this novel and the resolution sought by the characters? What is the effect of having the government alluded to by unrelated characters instead of being a direct character itself?

Essay Topic 3

What is the commentary the author provides on multi-culturalism in "Tropic of Orange"? How do the characters with multi-cultural backgrounds influence this commentary? What does the movement between Mexico and the United States reveal about multi-cultural societies?

(see the answer keys)

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