Category I
Why does Darius rarely speak in class, according to Esperanza?
A. He struggles with English
B. He prefers to watch the sky
C. He thinks school is pointless
D. He likes to argue
Answer:
B. He prefers to watch the sky
When Darius calls a cloud ‘God,’ what is the deeper implication?
A. He mocks religion
B. He misunderstands the question
C. He dislikes science
D. He finds holiness in the ordinary
Answer:
D. He finds holiness in the ordinary
In “And Some More,” the girls argue mainly about:
A. Food
B. Their families
C. Nicknames and insults
D. Clothing
Answer:
C. Nicknames and insults
In “The Family of Little Feet,” the girls’ new shoes symbolise:
A. Wealth
B. Childhood innocence
C. A step toward womanhood
D. Responsibility
Answer:
C. A step toward womanhood
Why does Esperanza agree to dance with her uncle?
A. He insists kindly
B. She wants people to look at her
C. She wants to escape the boys
D. She wants to impress her mother
Answer:
A. He insists kindly
Who warns the girls that the shoes are dangerous?
Answer:
A neighbour woman.
What lunch does Esperanza’s mother give her?
Answer:
A rice sandwich.
What part of Esperanza’s outfit embarrasses her at the party?
Answer:
Her shoes.
What colour is Esperanza’s dress in “Chanclas”?
Answer:
Pink
What does “all brown all around” describe?
Answer:
The neighbourhood’s people and houses.
What does “sassy” mean in the girls’ argument?
Answer:
Bold, teasing, playful attitude.
What does “taken for a ride” imply about the bum?
Answer:
He is trying to manipulate or trick Rachel.
What do Esperanza’s “big feet” represent metaphorically?
Answer:
Her awkward transition into adolescence.
What does “you started it, chicken” show?
Answer:
Childish teasing and conflict.
What does the phrase “clouds that look like pillows” suggest?
Answer:
Comfort, imagination, and childlike innocence.
What does the imagery of “skinny legs” and “big shoes” imply?
Answer:
The girls are still children playing at adulthood.
What does Rachel say hips are “good for”?
Answer:
Holding a baby while cooking.
Why is Sister Superior’s misjudgment described in a blunt, cold tone?
Answer:
To show institutional power and class bias.
How does Esperanza’s lunch experience reflect class inequality?
Answer:
One adult’s assumption defines her social worth for the day.
Why is Esperanza’s shame centred on her shoes, not her dress?
Answer:
Shoes symbolise maturity; hers reveal insecurity and class.
Explain “the music washed over me.”
Answer:
A metaphor for emotional transformation and newfound confidence.
What does Esperanza’s embarrassment over her shoes show about her inner conflict?
Answer:
She struggles between childhood insecurity and growing self-awareness.
Why does Cisneros place conversations about womanhood within children’s games?
Answer:
To show how maturity arrives before children fully understand it.
What does the repeated phrase “and some more” symbolise in the girls’ argument?
Answer:
Piling layers of insecurity and escalating insult.
What do you think Cisneros wants readers to understand about childhood environments on Mango Street?
Answer:
They shape identity through small moments that carry emotional weight.