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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 band is playing on the radio as Jay is driven to Tita Chato's in "A Complete Waste"?

2. When did Jun leave Reyna, according to her story in “A Universe Where People Do Not Die for Doing What Is Right”?

3. What does Jay say "All of the adults are" doing in "New Life" (284)?

4. Who wrote America Is in the Heart?

5. Who was Jay's first girlfriend?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Jay come to hope for the best in “A Complete Waste"?

2. What does Jay discover about Grace in “Another Day in the Minefield"?

3. How is Lolo and Lola's home described in “Bravery as if it Were my Own"?

4. What does Jay learn about Jun in “New Life"?

5. What arrangements has Mia made in “Let’s Do It"?

6. What causes Jay guilt in relation to Jun and Jun's death?

7. What do the vehicles in the ravine symbolize in “Go Back to Sleep"?

8. How and when did Jun leave Reyna?

9. How did Jun come to live with Reyna?

10. How is Reyna's home described in “A Universe Where People Do Not Die for Doing the Right Thing"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of justice and injustice in Patron Saints of Nothing. How are these themes developed through the action of the story? How are they developed through character? What symbolism relates to these themes?

Essay Topic 2

Examine and discuss journalism and the quest for truth as themes/motifs in Patron Saints of Nothing. What characters in the novel are connected to these themes? How do these characters influence Jay? How does the meaning of truth change for Jay in the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of religion in Patron Saints of Nothing. What are some of the criticisms of the Catholic Church that are explored in the book? What are some of the positive aspects of the Church that are explored? What role does the Church play in Jay's life?

(see the answer keys)

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