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. When Esmeralda meets Rita, what does Rita's smile remind her of?

2. Why can't Papi bring Margie to visit?

3. Why does Esmeralda's mother call her Negi?

4. What large object does Papi ask Esmeralda to bring him?

5. In "Someone is Coming to Steal Your Lap", how does Mami react to the rain?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Esmeralda's family lose in the storm?

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

6. Describe the song at the opening of "The American Invasion of Macun".

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

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

9. What is a purgante and why must the children drink them?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Santiago's portrayal of the country with her portrayal of the city. How does life change for Esmeralda and her family as they move back and forth between the city and the country? Which lifestyle, if either, is idealized in the text? Which, if either, is disparaged? How does Santiago balance her portrayal of these distinctly different spaces?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Examine Santiago's discussion of the increasing U.S. influence. How does Santiago address the growing U.S. presence in the lives of Puerto Ricans? How does her perspective compare to Papi's perception of the U.S. American "imperialists"? Consider events such as the hygiene and nutrition meeting in forming your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 884 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample