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

2. How does Bobby try to quit smoking?

3. What do the people in Chapter 7 think Arcangel is?

4. In Chapter 1, what does Rafaela describe about Gabriel's house?

5. What does Rafaela steal from Dona Maria's house in Chapter 18?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bobby think about his disagreements with Rafaela before she left for Mexico?

2. How do the characters react to the appearance of crabs in Chapter 10?

3. How does Bobby feel about the letter he receives in Chapter 12 about his cousin?

4. In Chapter 5, how is Manzanar Mukakami introduced?

5. How does Buzzworm describe the work he does?

6. What does Buzzworm do with his watches in Chapter 4?

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

8. In Chapter 14, what does Emi learn about the car accident?

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

10. In Chapter 16, what raises Buzzworm's suspicion about the deaths of his friends?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the significance of including historical explanations throughout this novel? When does the author tend to include these? How do they complicate, or simplify, a reader's understanding of the scene? How are the historical explanations symbolic in nature? How are they necessary background building? Consider the context of each historical explanation as well.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the extended orange metaphor throughout the development of "Tropic of Orange". Consider the descriptions of the orange in relation to the scenes where it is features. How does the orange's physical movement serve as an extended metaphor?

Essay Topic 3

How is this novel an example of magical realism? Describe the elements of magical realism and explain how "Tropic of Orange" aligns with this description and how it does not. How does this genre direct the text? How does this genre help the author deliver her commentary on society?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 849 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample