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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 caused Manny to think he had shot and killed Pedi when the rifle had accidentally gone off in his hands?

2. What plants did NOT grow in Grandma Rosa's yard?

3. What happened inside the restroom when Manny and Rebecca carried Magda in so she could relieve herself?

4. Which two musicians were Magda's favorites?

5. What was NOT a reason that the administration at Manny's school gave for being unable to transfer him to Hawthorn School?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Manuel assume that Grandma Rosa's house would go to Rebecca and what were his plans for it when that happened?

2. How does Manny's act of nearly shooting his little sister Pedi play into the novel's theme regarding the power of choice?

3. How did the various family members act differently from one another at the wake for Grandma Rosa that was held after the funeral?

4. How did Manny feel about his physical appearance when he compared it with Nardo's?

5. When Magda came home and her family rushed her to the hospital, what symptoms was she exhibiting and to what prognosis did her symptoms point?

6. How does Miss Van der Meer's classroom represent the theme of racial inequality?

7. What is the author's purpose in letting the reader know that Malcolm, Chico's opponent, had been the only one in Biology class to know what volume of blood is produced when a girl has her period?

8. What actions did Manuel take on the day Magda went to the hospital that were indicative of his usual tendency to take a hands-off approach to his family's problems?

9. Though at first Rebecca claimed it was their lack of money that was keeping her from taking Magda back to the hospital after her fever kept rising, what did she finally admit was the real reason?

10. What actions did Manny hope Rebecca would take in response to Manuel's abusive actions that resulted in his being jailed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters within the novel exemplify pervasive stereotypes about Mexican-Americans, including Nardo's laziness, Manuel's violent nature, and Rebecca's passivity in the face of abuse. Write an argumentative essay about whether or not the novel should be read in schools. Support your points with concrete details from the narrative.

Essay Topic 2

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within the robbery scene near the end of the novel. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the author's message regarding romantic love in the novel. State a clear and specific claim regarding this topic and support your claim using concrete details from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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