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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. When Bobby recounts how he met Rafaela in Chapter 12, why does he say he visited her every weekend after meeting her?

2. Where does Emi take Gabriel in Chapter 9?

3. What does Emi see while talking to Gabriel on the phone in Chapter 9?

4. How does Gabriel compare Buzzworm to an editor in Chapter 6?

5. What does Manzanar realize when he sees the second fire break out?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 7, why does the crowd of people distrust Arcangel?

2. How does Buzzworm describe the work he does?

3. How does Gabriel feel while going out to eat with Emi in Chapter 20?

4. How do the characters react to the appearance of crabs in Chapter 10?

5. What does Bobby think about his disagreements with Rafaela before she left for Mexico?

6. What does Arcangel do when he sees a broken down truck holding up traffic in Chapter 11?

7. In Chapter 5, how is Manzanar Mukakami introduced?

8. In Chapter 16, what raises Buzzworm's suspicion about the deaths of his friends?

9. In Chapter 13, what is Buzzworm's plan for improving Los Angeles neighborhoods?

10. What history of Gabriel's work is given in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the commentary the author provides on multi-culturalism in "Tropic of Orange"? How do the characters with multi-cultural backgrounds influence this commentary? What does the movement between Mexico and the United States reveal about multi-cultural societies?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the extended orange metaphor throughout the development of "Tropic of Orange". Consider the descriptions of the orange in relation to the scenes where it is features. How does the orange's physical movement serve as an extended metaphor?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the use of creating a novel out of many smaller stories that are interconnected briefly through the relationships between the characters. Is this useful? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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