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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 Esmeralda sell at a stand in the yard?

2. Who points at objects as the children sing "Pollito, chicken; gallina, hen; etc?"

3. What is a jamona?

4. To what does the narrator compare her family's first house?

5. What color are Abuelo's eyes?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Describe the house Esmeralda's family moves to in "Someone is Coming to Take Your Lap".

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

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

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

7. According to Esmeralda, what is the function of nicknames in Puerto Rican culture?

8. Explain why Esmeralda feels she has been punished for choosing to work with her father instead of listening to her mother.

9. Why does Esmeralda have to take the children to Dona Ana's house at the beginning of "Mami Gets a Job"?

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

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

Explore the role of violence in the memoir. How does Santiago portray violence between her parents? Between children? Based on Santiago's memoir, how is violence treated in Puerto Rican culture?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the role that the arts play in Esmeralda's life. How does her education at the Performing Arts high school influence her life? Before auditioning for the Performing Arts school, what is Esmeralda's perception of the arts? How does that understanding change as she attends the school?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 843 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample