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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 do to make life in El Mangle more pleasant?

2. What chore to Gladys and Esmeralda do every morning?

3. What does Mami dislike about Esmeralda's piano teacher?

4. On which street does Esmeralda's family live in "Casi Senorita"?

5. How old is Raymond in "Letters from New York"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Esmeralda say that it is impossible to escape the stench when her family lives in El Mangle?

2. How does the vision of romance which Esmeralda receives from soap operas compare with the relationship model she receives from her parents?

3. Discuss the differences between Angie and Gladys.

4. How does Esmeralda cope with the embarrassment of being singled out for her sub-standard math skills in front of the class?

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

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

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

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

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

10. Why does Mami begin sending the children to Sunday school?

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

A recent phenomenon in immigrant cultures is the move toward forming a more transnational identity--a notion of self which lies at the intersection between two cultures instead of squarely in one or the other. In your opinion, does Esmeralda form a distinctly Puerto Rican identity, a distinctly U.S. American identity, a transnational identity, or perhaps all three at different points of her life? If she identifies with one over the others, how does she demonstrate affinity for this identity? If she does not, how does she demonstrate a fluid notion of nationality? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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