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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. Where do the town people seek shelter at the opening of "Mami Gets a Job"?

2. When Esmeralda meets Rita, what does Rita's smile remind her of?

3. Where do the children sleep?

4. What color butterfly does Mami swat away from her ear?

5. What is Mami's nickname?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is a jamona?

2. Why do Ramona and Pablo fight at the beginning of "Fighting Naked"?

3. Describe Rita's attire in "Someone is Coming to Take Your Lap".

4. What is a jibara? Why does Esmeralda think she might be one?

5. Explain the concept of dignidad.

6. Describe the song at the opening of "The American Invasion of Macun".

7. How are the "experts" who speak on nutrition and hygiene received by the Puerto Rican women?

8. How does Esmeralda react when she learns how sausages are made?

9. How does Esmeralda react when Mami dresses up to go to the factory in Toa Baja?

10. Why does Esmeralda have to take the children to Dona Ana's house at the beginning of "Mami Gets a Job"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Santiago's experience of religion as a child. How does she convey this experience? What does Santiago's experience with religion say about the status of the Church in Puerto Rico? In what ways is Santiago's experience of religion typical or atypical? How does it compare to your preconceived notions of this culture?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the presentation of gender and gender roles in the memoir. How does gender influence or determine behavior and social pressures? How are women treated differently from men? When does this difference in treatment arise in a girl's life? How does the perception of gender vary based on Esmeralda's location in the book (i.e. how is gender perceived differently in Macun, Santurce, and Brooklyn?) Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the way Santiago portrays the Puerto Rican culture in the United States. How, according to the book, do Puerto Ricans adapt to living in New York? How do their lives change? What remains the same? How does Santiago seem to feel about these changes? How does Santiago act as a detached observer of the Puerto Rican community in Brooklyn?

(see the answer keys)

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