The House of Mango Street English Final Exam
Questions A
Why does Esperanza think Nenny belongs to a world, she, Rachel, and Lucy don't
belong to anymore?
She's different from everyone else and she can't hear Esperanza calling out her name
How old do you think Esperanza is at this point on the story (Hips)?
10-12
Why do the women at work laugh at Esperanza?
She's new to the job and doesn't even know when to sit down
What makes Esperanza trust the Oriental man?
He was only to actually talk to Esperanza and he let her sit with him in the lunchroom
How does the Oriental man betray her trust?
By kissing her hard on the mouth
What do the Mexican people do to honor their dead?
They take a black-and-white photo of the tomb of whoever has died with a white vase
filled with spear-shaped flowers next to it
Why does Esperanza's papa "wake up tired in the dark"? How does Esperanza
feel about her father?
Shes loves him and feels for him after his father dies
What does Esperanza mean when she says, "I think diseases have no eyes"?
She believes that diseases chose people randomly, "with a dizzy finger".
Why don't the girls realize their imitations of Aunt Lupe are wrong?
They never thought it was wrong because they didn't think that it mattered since it was
just part of a silly game.
What's the impact of Aunt Lupe's illness on her husband and children?
Her husband who lost his wife to an illness felt like he lost his wife entirely. Her kids lost
their childhood to ironing shirts instead of being kids
Why do you think Aunt Lupe says to Esperanza, "You just remember to keep
writing Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free."?
Writing will keep Esperanza free
Why do you think Esperanza goes to Elenita, the witch woman, to hear her
fortune?
She wants to know if she'll ever get her dream house
What is Esperanza hoping for? (Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water)
Freedom - A new life away from Mango Street
What are the superstitions or cures attributed to Elenita's power?
For a headache - rub a cold across your face; forgetting an old romance - tie a chicken
foot with a red string, spin it over your head 3 times, then burn it; getting rid of bad
spirits - sleep next to a hold candle for seven days, then on the eighth day, spit
What does Elenita predict for Esperanza's future?
Elentia sees "a home in the heart"
How does Esperanza feel about this prediction? (Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water)
, Esperanza's disappointed with her fortune because she was expecting more and she
didn't know what "a home in the heart" meant
What evidence is there in this chapter that Ruthie may be mentally handicapped?
She wears one blue sock and one green because she forgot, she's the only grown-up
Esperanza knows who likes to play, and they go shopping and they take her with them,
she never comes inside the stores and if she does, she keeps looking around like a wild
animal in house first time
Why do you think Esperanza likes Ruthie?
She plays with Esperanza and her friends
What indications are there in this chapter that Esperanza is still very young and
naive? (The Earl of Tennessee)
She doesn't understand that Earl is sleeping with different women
Why is a white Southerner like Earl living on Mango Street?
To avoid being judged for his behavior
What is the following passage saying about Lois' maturity level compared to
Esperanza's? "...She was barefoot, and I saw her barefoot baby toenails all
painted pale pale pink...her bones are long like ladies' bones...But she doesn't
know how to tie her shoes. I do."
Lois isn't as mature mentally as Esperanza. Even though she's grown more physically.
How does Esperanza feel about her ability to attract Sire's attention?
She feels scared. Esperanza hasn't been able to attract any boy's attention.
What is the meaning of the following passage? What are the trees saying?
"Sometimes I hear them laughing late, beer cans and cats and the trees talking to
themselves: wait, wait, wait."
The trees are warning her to wait longer before starting a relationship
What do the four trees teach Esperanza?
No matter what, always keep keeping. If the four skinny trees who don't belong here
who were only put here to be planted, can keep keeping, so can Esperanza
What do you think is the significance of Mamacita's small pink shoes?
The pink shoes acted like a window of Mamacita's life back home. Everything was pink,
her walls, her house, everything
Why is Mamacita upset when the baby starts speaking English? What is Cisneros
saying about Mexican children in this chapter? (No Speak English)
They don't feel the baby is part of their cultural background since it's speaking English
What does Esperanza learn from Rafaela about the life of a young married woman
on Mango Street?
Married women on Mango Street have an extremely limited life. They can't go
anywhere.
Why does Sally's father prevent her from leaving their home after school?
If Sally didn't come straight home from school, her father may think that she got ideas
about running away or has already run away
At one point in the chapter Sally, it's confusing as to whether the author is writing
about Sally or about Esperanza. What's a sentence in this chapter that's about
Sally but is also Esperanza's dream?
Questions A
Why does Esperanza think Nenny belongs to a world, she, Rachel, and Lucy don't
belong to anymore?
She's different from everyone else and she can't hear Esperanza calling out her name
How old do you think Esperanza is at this point on the story (Hips)?
10-12
Why do the women at work laugh at Esperanza?
She's new to the job and doesn't even know when to sit down
What makes Esperanza trust the Oriental man?
He was only to actually talk to Esperanza and he let her sit with him in the lunchroom
How does the Oriental man betray her trust?
By kissing her hard on the mouth
What do the Mexican people do to honor their dead?
They take a black-and-white photo of the tomb of whoever has died with a white vase
filled with spear-shaped flowers next to it
Why does Esperanza's papa "wake up tired in the dark"? How does Esperanza
feel about her father?
Shes loves him and feels for him after his father dies
What does Esperanza mean when she says, "I think diseases have no eyes"?
She believes that diseases chose people randomly, "with a dizzy finger".
Why don't the girls realize their imitations of Aunt Lupe are wrong?
They never thought it was wrong because they didn't think that it mattered since it was
just part of a silly game.
What's the impact of Aunt Lupe's illness on her husband and children?
Her husband who lost his wife to an illness felt like he lost his wife entirely. Her kids lost
their childhood to ironing shirts instead of being kids
Why do you think Aunt Lupe says to Esperanza, "You just remember to keep
writing Esperanza. You must keep writing. It will keep you free."?
Writing will keep Esperanza free
Why do you think Esperanza goes to Elenita, the witch woman, to hear her
fortune?
She wants to know if she'll ever get her dream house
What is Esperanza hoping for? (Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water)
Freedom - A new life away from Mango Street
What are the superstitions or cures attributed to Elenita's power?
For a headache - rub a cold across your face; forgetting an old romance - tie a chicken
foot with a red string, spin it over your head 3 times, then burn it; getting rid of bad
spirits - sleep next to a hold candle for seven days, then on the eighth day, spit
What does Elenita predict for Esperanza's future?
Elentia sees "a home in the heart"
How does Esperanza feel about this prediction? (Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water)
, Esperanza's disappointed with her fortune because she was expecting more and she
didn't know what "a home in the heart" meant
What evidence is there in this chapter that Ruthie may be mentally handicapped?
She wears one blue sock and one green because she forgot, she's the only grown-up
Esperanza knows who likes to play, and they go shopping and they take her with them,
she never comes inside the stores and if she does, she keeps looking around like a wild
animal in house first time
Why do you think Esperanza likes Ruthie?
She plays with Esperanza and her friends
What indications are there in this chapter that Esperanza is still very young and
naive? (The Earl of Tennessee)
She doesn't understand that Earl is sleeping with different women
Why is a white Southerner like Earl living on Mango Street?
To avoid being judged for his behavior
What is the following passage saying about Lois' maturity level compared to
Esperanza's? "...She was barefoot, and I saw her barefoot baby toenails all
painted pale pale pink...her bones are long like ladies' bones...But she doesn't
know how to tie her shoes. I do."
Lois isn't as mature mentally as Esperanza. Even though she's grown more physically.
How does Esperanza feel about her ability to attract Sire's attention?
She feels scared. Esperanza hasn't been able to attract any boy's attention.
What is the meaning of the following passage? What are the trees saying?
"Sometimes I hear them laughing late, beer cans and cats and the trees talking to
themselves: wait, wait, wait."
The trees are warning her to wait longer before starting a relationship
What do the four trees teach Esperanza?
No matter what, always keep keeping. If the four skinny trees who don't belong here
who were only put here to be planted, can keep keeping, so can Esperanza
What do you think is the significance of Mamacita's small pink shoes?
The pink shoes acted like a window of Mamacita's life back home. Everything was pink,
her walls, her house, everything
Why is Mamacita upset when the baby starts speaking English? What is Cisneros
saying about Mexican children in this chapter? (No Speak English)
They don't feel the baby is part of their cultural background since it's speaking English
What does Esperanza learn from Rafaela about the life of a young married woman
on Mango Street?
Married women on Mango Street have an extremely limited life. They can't go
anywhere.
Why does Sally's father prevent her from leaving their home after school?
If Sally didn't come straight home from school, her father may think that she got ideas
about running away or has already run away
At one point in the chapter Sally, it's confusing as to whether the author is writing
about Sally or about Esperanza. What's a sentence in this chapter that's about
Sally but is also Esperanza's dream?
