Chapter 13-14
1. She is a single mother and has many children who are uncontrollable.
2. She cries every day for the children's father, who left without even a word.
1. When Darius looks up at a particular cloud and calls it _____, Esperanza thinks Darius is wise.
God
1. One day, someone gives Esperanza, Nenny, Rachel, and Lucy a paper bag full of old __________.
high-heeled shoes
1. What makes Esperanza too embarrassed to dance at her cousin's baptism?
Her old shoes.
2. What happened to Angel Vargas?
One day, he fell from a high place and died.
2. Please provide a short summary for chapter 16.
One day Esperanza, Nenny, Rachel, and Lucy are looking at clouds and start to have discussion about names for clouds. It started casually in the beginning, however it turned into a fight.
2. How did the girls react when the shoes were gone?
They were relieved.
2. What does Nenny think girls might turn into if they never grow hips?
Men
She died.
3. Gender is one of the themes in chapter 15. Please provide the concrete textual evidence or valid reason for supporting this fact.
*Textual evidence: “Darius, who doesn’t like school, ~ and thinks he’s tough,”
*Valid reason: If you look at the way how Esperanza describes this boy, she does not give good comment.
3. Esperanza is jealous of "the special kids" for specific reason. What is that reason?
She is jealous of them because they are eating lunch in the canteen and she is not.
3. Esperanza believes that hips have a _____ quality.
4. Why does Alicia goes to college even though the way to get there is tough?
Because she does not want to be stuck with the reality she is facing right now.
4. Language is one of the themes in chapter 16. Please provide the concrete textual evidence or valid reason for supporting this fact.
1) Esperanza reads a lot of book and knows more things than other girls.
2) Girls describe clouds in a poetic way.
4. Gender is one of the themes in chapter 17. Please provide the concrete textual evidence or valid reason for supporting this fact.
1. The dangerous world of men is fully revealed to the girls here.
2. It is scary to be viewed as a sexual object by those who have physical and social power over them.
4. Dreams and beauty is the theme in chapter 19. Please provide the concrete textual evidence or valid reason for supporting this fact.
1. The reason why people love beautiful thing is, it helps them to get away from harsh reality they are facing.
2. In here, the harsh reality Esperanza had to face was ugly shoes.
3. However, thanks to the beautiful thing (=dance), she was able to get away from the thought about the shoes.
5. How does Alicia's father treat her efforts to get an education?
He does not like the idea because he wants her to stay and do the house chores.
5. Please read the textual evidence on the bottom and identify the theme.
*Textual evidence: "She got three last names and, let me see, two first names. One in English and one in Spanish..."
Foreigness
5. Foreigness is one of the themes in chapter 18. Please provide the concrete textual evidence or valid reason for supporting this fact.
*Textual evidences:
"The special kids, the ones who wear keys around their necks, get to eat in the canteen.” (pg. 43)
"Then she was sorry and said I could stay – just for today, not tomorrow or the day after.” (pg. 45)
"In the canteen, which was nothing special, lots of boys and girls watched while I cried and ate my sandwich, the bread already greasy and the rice cold.” (pg.45)
5. Gender is one of the themes in chapter 20. Please provide the concrete textual evidence or valid reason for supporting this fact.
*Textual evidences:
“They’re good for holding a baby when you’re cooking,
Rachel says, turning the jump rope a little quicker.” (pg. 47)
“If you don’t get them you may turn into a man.” (pg. 47)