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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 does Esperazna like to do?

2. What is wrong with Mamacita?

3. What, or whom, will she allow to live in her attic?

4. Why does Esperanza like to be with Sally?

5. Who tells Esperanza, “I could have been somebody”?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why can’t Esperanza, her mother, and other neighbors and kids agree on what Earl’s “wife” looks like?

2. Who is Ruthie?

3. Esperanza wants a nice house and wants to live on a hill, but she believes that she’ll be different than the others who do so. How does she believe that she will be different?

4. Why is Esperanza’s Aunt Lupe an important person to her?

5. Why does Esperanza say she’ll allow “bums in the attic”?

6. How has Esperanza begun her “own quiet war”?

7. How does Sally defy her parents?

8. Why does Esperanza’s father call Sire a punk?

9. What does it mean that both Esperanza is getting noticed by boys, and that she notices them watching her?

10. Why does her Aunt Lupe tell her that writing will keep her free?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Coming-of-age is a major theme in this book. Who comes of age in this book? What’s indicative of this?

Essay Topic 2

Womanhood

a. What are the stereotypes of women in Esperanza’s culture?

b. What strong female characters does Esperanza look up to?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Lucy and Rachel’s family situation with Nenny’s and Esperanza’s. Do they seem satisfied with where they are living and the neighborhood on Mango Street?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 647 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample