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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 do the children wear at the beach to protect their skin?

2. What is the Grandfather's name?

3. Why is Candelaria removed from the Awful Grandmother's house?

4. What is a chillona?

5. Whose birthday does the Grandmother make arrangements to celebrate?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the nice lifestyle shared by Uncle Baby and Aunty Ninfa.

2. Why is Candelaria removed from the Reyes home?

3. How does the Grandmother advise Inocencio about his hysterical wife?

4. Why does Celaya's afternoon out with her mother turn into a family crisis?

5. Describe Mother's hysterical fit in the car in Acapulco.

6. Describe Celaya's house and its furnishings.

7. What is a rebozo and what value does it have in Mexican culture?

8. What does the family do when they arrive in Acapulco?

9. Describe the childhood of the Awful Grandmother and what role rebozos played in her life.

10. Where does Inocencio take the family for a holiday, and who complicates the situation by inviting herself to go along?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphor, and irony, then briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the overall ethnic culture for the book. What influences does ethnicity have on Cisneros' novel? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues reflected in the work?

Essay Topic 3

Create a character study of Zoila. What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Zoila?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,173 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample