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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. Which amenity does Esmeralda's family share with another family?

2. What does Esmeralda call New York when she first hears that Tata has moved there?

3. What is Mami's nickname?

4. How many avocado trees does the family have left after the disaster in "Mami Gets a Job"?

5. What excuse does Papi give for not having money to bring home to the family?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Abuela treat Esmeralda's injury?

2. What is a jamona?

3. Why do Ramona and Pablo fight at the beginning of "Fighting Naked"?

4. Explain the concept of dignidad.

5. How are the "experts" who speak on nutrition and hygiene received by the Puerto Rican women?

6. Explain how Esmeralda feels about the treatment of jibaros.

7. How does Esmeralda react when she learns how sausages are made?

8. Describe the house Esmeralda's family moves into at the beginning of Chapter 1: Jibara.

9. Which feature does Abuela say Esmeralda shares with her father, and what does this feature supposedly indicate?

10. How does Esmeralda react to the news that her father has a child with another woman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Santiago's experience of religion as a child. How does she convey this experience? What does Santiago's experience with religion say about the status of the Church in Puerto Rico? In what ways is Santiago's experience of religion typical or atypical? How does it compare to your preconceived notions of this culture?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze Santiago's presentation of family in the memoir. How does she treat her own family in writing this book? Does the family provide a healthy living environment? Is her family a traditional Puerto Rican family? If not traditional, is it in any way typical of a particular socio-economic, regional, or cultural group within the nation?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Santiago's treatment of childhood and the child's perspective throughout this work. How does she portray her own childhood? How does the child narrator provide a commentary unavailable to an adult narrator? How does Santiago's treatment of childhood compare with mainstream American notions of childhood? What has growing up in jibara culture contributed to her notions of childhood?

(see the answer keys)

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