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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. How does Ignacio Aguero die?

2. How many wives has Gonzalo Cruz had?

3. How long after Blanca's death does Ignacio die?

4. Which animal's nest does a thirteen-year-old Ignacio discover while trekking through the Cuban coast?

5. Which character believes her face is slowly transforming into her mother's, and feels that she no longer recognizes her reflection in the mirror?

Short Essay Questions

1. What theory does Pepin Beltrán have about Reina's insomnia?

2. What happens to the small pouch Blanca carries around her neck, after she dies?

3. How does Ignacio react after his wife dies in the swamp?

4. What question does Dr. Samuel Forrest ask Ignacio during his job interview that ultimately earns him the job?

5. What bad omen does Soledad Aguero see on the day she gives birth to her son Ignacio?

6. How does Reina work her way into the expensive yacht club?

7. What happens when Dulce meets Bengt and returns to his hotel with him?

8. What role does the hummingbird play in Blanca's death in the Zapatos Swamp?

9. How does Constancia treat Herberto's dead body?

10. What memory haunts Reina in regards to her mother's death and visiting her at the funeral home?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Cuban revolution plays a small role in the background of the novel. How does the Cuban Revolution affect the main characters, the Aguero sisters, during the course of this novel? What symbolic importance does the war have on what is happening in the sisters' lives? Why might Cristina Garcia have chosen to include it in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Money seems to be the one driving force in Dulce Aguero's life. Explain what Dulce's life was like while she was living in Cuba and why the prostitution jobs she took seemed necessary. Then, explain how Dulce's quest for financial stability affected the romantic relationships in her life.

Essay Topic 3

Reina's life in Cuba was heavily influenced by the presence of her deceased parents. Describe a day in Reina's life while she was living in Cuba and explain how the memory of her parents haunted every aspect of her life.

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