View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who was the recruiter for the Coyotes?

2. What was carried by the apparition of a white woman who appeared before the warriors of the O'Odham in 1699?

3. What desert vegetation did the walkers try to eat for hydration?

4. Why was the sign reading, "USA Prohibido!" (57) confusing to Spanish-speakers?

5. Which direction did people in Veracruz wish to go, according to Urrea in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Melchior Diaz?

2. Why were the walkers hoping to encounter Border Patrol agents, even though they were crossing without authorization?

3. Who is Mike F.?

4. Why do some guides feed their walkers diet pills?

5. From what state did most of the Yuma 14 come?

6. According to Urrea, what is the most sensible interpretation of the sign "USA Prohibido!" for Spanish-speakers?

7. What was the banzai run?

8. How does the sign warning travelers in Sasabe describe the Coyotes?

9. What is done with the dead at the consulate building before they are prepared for burial?

10. What is Desolation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The journey of the Wellton 26 was undertaken entirely by people identified within the text as male. Write an essay analyzing the role that gender plays in Urrea's depiction of this deadly crossing. Use evidence from the text and any outside research you may require to analyze how codes of masculinity influence the walkers' motives, belief, or behavior.

Essay Topic 2

The main text of The Devil's Highway was published in 2004. The text of the afterword was published in 2014, allowing Urrea to reflect on the book's impact and the historical development of its subject matter. Choose one claim that Urrea makes about the trajectory of immigration politics. Use independent research and evidence from the text to support, dispute, or modify Urrea's claim.

Essay Topic 3

Urrea uses many racial and occupational epithets over the course of The Devil's Highway, occasionally providing etymological explanations for more obscure entries. Choose three or more examples from the book, then describe their use and surrounding context. Use your findings to respond to Urrea's reflections on this practice as expressed in the afterword.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 595 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample