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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. What does Forche tell Leonel about the way poets are perceived in the United States?

2. What did the doctor at the first hospital Forche visits in El Salvador tell her before Forche goes to see it?

3. How did Leonel get from El Salvador to Forche's house when he visits her for the first time?

4. Which general does Leonel take Forche to see during the early days of her first visit to El Salvador?

5. Where is Forche living when Leonel first comes to her door?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Leonel do immediately when he arrives at Forche's house and continue doing for several days?

2. What memory does Forche's first trip to an outdoor latrine in El Salvador trigger for her?

3. How does the first scene Forche describes in El Salvador, on pages 3 - 4, set the tone for the rest of the book?

4. What did Forche first think the death squads were, and why did she think that?

5. What is Forche's reaction when Leonel asks her if she is a Catholic?

6. What does Forche realize Leonel enjoys immensely during the time he stays with her in California?

7. What nickname does Leonel often refer to Forche by and where did it originate?

8. What was Forche's experience observing and helping in Dr. Vicky's hospital?

9. What is the loose connection between Forche and Leonel?

10. What does Forche think Margarita Herrera's first impression of her is?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Forche learn about both Leonel and agricultural life in El Salvador when he takes her to visit his coffee farm? (100). What does Forche think about the innovations and tactics Leonel and his workers created to help make their work more efficient? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Why does Leonel tell Forche that she may have a hard time convincing other Americans that what she has seen in El Salvador, and specifically, how brutal and violent the atmosphere is? Are Leonel's warnings to Forche borne out in her actual experiences? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring Forche's personal experiences hosting "Alex" as a guest in her home with Mattison and her young son Sean during the end of the book. What does Forche mean when she concludes that "Alex" is trapped?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 816 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample