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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 color shirt does Papi want on Sunday morning?

2. What do the families hang from the rafters in "Mami Gets a Job"?

3. What is the closest city to Macun?

4. How does Esmeralda injure herself in "Why Women Remain Jamona"?

5. What type of bugs swarm Esmeralda when she picked up the old floor boards?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Esmeralda injure her hand at Abuela's house?

2. When Mami comes to get Esmeralda, how does Esmeralda feel about being left at Abuela's by Papi?

3. How does Esmeralda react to her father's tears in "Fighting Naked"?

4. How does Esmeralda react when Mami dresses up to go to the factory in Toa Baja?

5. What does the family do when the heavy rains come in "Someone is Coming to Take Your Lap"?

6. Explain the concept of dignidad.

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

8. Describe Rita's attire in "Someone is Coming to Take Your Lap".

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

10. How does Abuela treat Esmeralda's injury?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the way sexuality is treated throughout Esmeralda's life. How is she educated about sex and sexuality? How do events in her life teach her about sexuality? Consider various points in the memoir, including but not limited to the sexual relationship between Mami and Papi, the interaction between Tato and Esmeralda, the interaction between Esmeralda and Don Luis.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the way in which geography, location, and space are treated in the memoir. Various topics you might explore include the way Esmeralda and other people experience travel, distances, or their physical surroundings. How fluidly does the family move from one location to another? What sense of space or place does the reader receive from this book?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the memoir, Esmeralda's notions of body change depending on her age and the culture in which she is participating. Trace the evolution of Esmeralda's understanding of the body and body image. How do changes in Mami's appearance influence her understanding of body image? How do interactions with boys and men shape her perception of her own body? How do interactions with other girls influence her feelings about her body? What is the strongest influence on Esmeralda's notions of her body?

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