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. What does Dona Andrea pour over Esmeralda's cereal?

2. Why do the children misbehave when Mami goes away?

3. What is in the bags Mami carries off the plane?

4. What kind of business do Mami and Papi start together?

5. How old is Esmeralda when the family moves to New York?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Esmeralda describe her first experience of snow?

2. Discuss the difference in Gladys' and Esmeralda's reactions to the task of peeling potatoes.

3. Describe the house the family moves into at the beginning of "Letters from NY".

4. Describe the church Mami sends the children to in "Casi Senorita".

5. What is Esmeralda's first impression of New York as the plane touches down?

6. How does Mami react to the news that the doctors might need to amputate Raymond's foot one year after the accident?

7. Why does Esmeralda scream at Don Luis during her piano lessons?

8. How does Esmeralda feel as Nicasia leads her through the process of blessing the dead baby?

9. Describe Dona Andrea.

10. How has Mami's appearance changed after her return from New York?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

The coming of age story, often referred to as a bildungsroman, is a subset of the literary tradition in which the author describes the trials and tribulations of coming into adulthood. Research the form of the bildungsroman, then discuss Santiago's memoir with regard to this form. How does it compare? In what ways does it differ? Why does Santiago choose to develop her memoir in this way?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 783 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample