Theme
Abuelita tells Esperanza, "There is no rose without thorns." What does this saying mean?
A. You should always wear thick leather gloves when working in the garden.
B. Hard times and difficulties are a natural part of life, even when things seem wonderful.
C. Roses are very expensive to grow and purchase in Mexico.
D. Papa loved his rose garden more than anything else on the ranch.
B. Hard times and difficulties are a natural part of life, even when things seem wonderful.
At the start of the book, Esperanza is used to having everything done for her. At the camp, how does she show she is starting to grow up?
A. She takes full responsibility for looking after the twin babies, Lupe and Pepe, during the day.
B. She uses her savings to hire a servant to help clean their cabin.
C. She teaches Isabel how to read and write in English.
D. She demands that the camp manager give her family a larger private house.
A. She takes full responsibility for looking after the twin babies, Lupe and Pepe, during the day.
Where does Esperanza's family live at the very beginning of the novel?
A. In a small wooden cabin in Los Angeles, California.
B. At El Rancho de las Rosas in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
C. On a cotton farm in San Antonio, Texas.
D. At a convent school near Mexico City.
B. At El Rancho de las Rosas in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
What tragic event happens near the beginning of the book that changes Esperanza’s whole life?
A. Tío Luis burns down the family's home and vineyard.
B. Papa is ambushed and killed by bandits while mending a fence on his land.
C. Abuelita decides to leave the family to live in a convent forever.
D. Miguel runs away from the ranch to work on the railroad in America.
B. Papa is ambushed and killed by bandits while mending a fence on his land.
Why does Tío Luis cause so many problems for Mama after Papa passes away?
A. He wants to marry Mama so he can take control of the ranch land and gain political power.
B. He wants to force Esperanza to go work in his office in town.
C. He wants to sell the entire ranch to farmers from the United States.
D. He wants Mama to move into his house so he can take care of her.
A. He wants to marry Mama so he can take control of the ranch land and gain political power.
On the train, a poor woman named Carmen shares her food with Mama and Esperanza. What does this teach Esperanza?
A. You should never speak or share food with strangers while traveling.
B. Carmen wanted to trade her food in exchange for Esperanza's porcelain doll.
C. People who have very little material wealth can still be generous and kindhearted.
D. Train food tastes much better than food made at home on the ranch.
C. People who have very little material wealth can still be generous and kindhearted.
What does Esperanza do after Marta laughs at her for not knowing how to sweep the platform?
A. She gets angry and throws the broom at Marta in front of everyone.
B. She runs away from the camp and hides in the orchards all afternoon.
C. She swallows her pride and asks Miguel to teach her how to sweep correctly.
D. She decides to never try doing chores around the camp ever again.
C. She swallows her pride and asks Miguel to teach her how to sweep correctly.
How is Esperanza's new home in California different from her home in Mexico?
A. It is a tiny two-room cabin that her family must share with Hortensia, Alfonso, and Isabel.
B. It is a large brick house located inside a busy city center.
C. It is a private tent set up right next to the dusty railroad tracks.
D. It is a nice house, but it has no windows or doors.
A. It is a tiny two-room cabin that her family must share with Hortensia, Alfonso, and Isabel.
What special birthday gift does Esperanza receive from Papa right after his funeral?
A. A silver pocket watch that used to belong to her grandfather.
B. A beautiful porcelain doll dressed in a fine lace gown.
C. A crocheted wool blanket made by Abuelita.
D. A small puppy to keep her company on the ranch.
B. A beautiful porcelain doll dressed in a fine lace gown.
How do Mama and Esperanza resolve the dangerous threat posed by Tío Luis?
A. They call the local police to have Tío Luis arrested right away.
B. They trick him by pretending Mama will marry him, then secretly escape to America at night.
C. They pay him a large sum of money so he will leave them alone.
D. They ask Abuelita to talk to Tío Luis and convince him to change his mind.
B. They trick him by pretending Mama will marry him, then secretly escape to America at night.
Why is Esperanza unable to hear the "heartbeat of the earth" when she lies down in California?
A. The ground in California is too hard and dry to make any sounds.
B. She is too sad, overwhelmed, and resistant to accepting her new life.
C. Papa forgot to teach her the proper way to listen to the ground before he died.
D. Loud car traffic in the valley blocks out all natural noises.
B. She is too sad, overwhelmed, and resistant to accepting her new life.
Mama changes her elegant hair bun into a practical peasant braid. What does this change reveal about Mama?
A. She is trying to disguise her face so Tío Luis cannot locate her.
B. She is accepting her new life as a worker and setting an example of strength for Esperanza.
C. She cut her hair short because she lost her hairbrush in the fire.
D. Camp rules state that women are not allowed to wear formal hairstyles.
B. She is accepting her new life as a worker and setting an example of strength for Esperanza.
How do Esperanza, Mama, and Hortensia travel secretly while escaping from Mexico?
A. They disguise themselves as train conductors on a passenger train.
B. They hike through the mountains late at night with a local guide.
C. They hide in a secret floor compartment underneath a wagon filled with guavas.
D. They ride in the back seat of Señor Rodríguez's private motorcar.
C. They hide in a secret floor compartment underneath a wagon filled with guavas.
Who bravely runs back into the burning house at El Rancho de las Rosas to save Abuelita?
A. Tío Luis
B. Señor Rodríguez
C. Miguel
D. Alfonso
C. Miguel
In Mexico, Esperanza felt separated from Miguel by a "deep river" (class difference). How is this conflict resolved in California?
A. Miguel becomes rich from working on the railroad and buys his own house.
B. Esperanza apologizes to Miguel for ever thinking she was better than him.
C. Living in the same camp and working hard to survive brings them together as equals.
D. Esperanza refuses to speak to Miguel at all while living at the camp.
C. Living in the same camp and working hard to survive brings them together as equals.
Marta calls the workers "gatitos" (kittens) during a meeting. What point is she trying to make?
A. She thinks the workers are small, cute, and friendly.
B. She believes the workers spend too much time sleeping instead of picking crops.
C. She thinks the workers are scared and quiet instead of standing up for fair treatment.
D. She wants the workers to organize a strike to get better food at the camp store.
C. She thinks the workers are scared and quiet instead of standing up for fair treatment.
What is Miguel's main personal dream for his future in America?
A. To work on railroad engines and become a trained mechanic.
B. To buy back El Rancho de las Rosas and become a wealthy landowner.
C. To open his own grocery store inside the worker camp.
D. To become a schoolteacher in the San Joaquin Valley.
A. To work on railroad engines and become a trained mechanic.
What major weather disaster strikes the camp in California?
A. A huge river flood that washes away the wooden cabins.
B. A massive dust storm (La Tormenta de Polvo) that covers everything in dirt.
C. A sudden snowstorm that destroys all the fruit trees.
D. A wildfire that burns down the packing sheds.
B. A massive dust storm (La Tormenta de Polvo) that covers everything in dirt.
Why does Abuelita have to stay behind in Mexico when Mama and Esperanza leave for America?
A. She wanted to stay behind to rebuild the ranch house herself.
B. Tío Luis forced her to stay so she could work for him.
C. She hurt her ankle during the fire and needed time to heal at a convent.
D. She did not have enough money to buy a train ticket to California.
C. She hurt her ankle during the fire and needed time to heal at a convent.
Why is there conflict between Marta's group of protesters and the other field workers?
A. Marta's group wants to strike for better pay, but other workers can't afford to lose their daily wages.
B. Marta wants to take over the camp manager's job, but the workers disagree.
C. Protesters want to go back to Mexico, while the other workers want to stay in California.
D. Marta wants everyone to work longer hours, but the other workers are too tired.
A. Marta's group wants to strike for better pay, but other workers can't afford to lose their daily wages.
Miguel and Alfonso plant Papa's salvaged rosebushes behind the cabin. What do these rosebushes symbolize?
A. That their family's love, memory of Papa, and hope can survive and grow in a new place.
B. Miguel and Alfonso want to start a business selling flowers at the local market.
C. That the family will be returning to Aguascalientes as soon as the harvest is over.
D. That rosebushes grow better in dusty dirt than any other plant.
A. That their family's love, memory of Papa, and hope can survive and grow in a new place.
When a poor child on the train asks to see Esperanza’s doll, Esperanza pulls it away. How does Esperanza show later that she is becoming more caring?
A. She gives her expensive porcelain doll away to Isabel.
B. She buys brand-new leather shoes for all the children in the camp.
C. She makes a simple yarn doll to comfort a crying girl on the train.
D. She gives away all of her clothes to the other families in the cabin.
C. She makes a simple yarn doll to comfort a crying girl on the train.
Why is the camp's outdoor washing platform an important setting in the story?
A. It is where the camp manager pays the workers their weekly cash wages.
B. It is the only place in the camp where political strike meetings are legally allowed.
C. It is a community spot where the women gather to talk, support one another, and do laundry.
D. It is where the workers eat all of their daily meals together.
C. It is a community spot where the women gather to talk, support one another, and do laundry.
What happens to Mama after the big dust storm hits the camp?
A. She gets very sick with Valley Fever and has to go to the hospital.
B. She decides to move back to Mexico immediately to find Abuelita.
C. She loses her job at the packing shed for missing work.
D. She breaks her ankle while trying to clean the dusty cabin.
A. She gets very sick with Valley Fever and has to go to the hospital.
When Marta teases Esperanza and calls her "Cinderella," how does Esperanza overcome her embarrassment?
A. She reports Marta to the camp supervisor to get her evicted from the camp.
B. She asks Isabel and Miguel to teach her how to do chores so she can become useful and independent.
C. She decides to stay inside the cabin and ignore everyone in the camp.
D. She challenges Marta to a sweeping contest in front of all the workers.
B. She asks Isabel and Miguel to teach her how to do chores so she can become useful and independent.