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WorksheetsEsperanza on Mango Street Quiz
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 17mins
Esperanza is disappointed in her house on Mango Street because
it can be seen by the nuns from her school windows.
her family must share the yard with their neighbors.
it is red and crumbling with only one bathroom and it falls short of the family “dream” house.
there are no stairs.
Which of the following statements about Esperanza is true?
Esperanza does not like her name because it is difficult for Americans to pronounce.
Esperanza was born in the year of the horse. This is unlucky because Mexicans do not like their women to be strong.
Esperanza does not understand why she must care for her younger sister Nenny.
Both A and B
The music box Nenny finds in the junk store may be considered a metaphor for Esperanza’s life because
the music box is in an ugly case but plays beautiful music. Esperanza lives on an ugly street, but inside she is capable of greatness.
the beauty of the music box is being greedily kept captive in the ugly junk shop by the man just as the lives of women on Mango Street are restricted by the men in their lives.
the music box is something wonderful hidden by the mass of junk in the junk shop. Esperanza is also something wonderful obscured by all of the characters on Mango Street.
A, B, and C
What, according to Esperanza’s view of the world, is wrong with Marin’s dream described in the following quotation? “…she’s going to get a real job downtown because that’s where the best jobs are, since you always get to look beautiful and get to wear nice clothes and can meet someone in the subway who might marry you.”
Marin’s dream depends on a man to provide her with a happy life. Esperanza believes women must learn to be strong and behave more like men.
Marin does not have the education or refinement to get one of those jobs downtown.
Marin’s father will never let her dress in fancy clothes or travel downtown.
Both A and B
The below passage is an example of “The kids bend trees and bounce between cars and dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum vases you can’t replace.”
poetic lines in blank verse.
personification used to create images.
poetic style of writing prose which contains sound and images.
Both B and C
Which of the following incidents from the story supports the idea that feet may be a symbol for growing up or maturing?
Rosa Vargas has too many children just like the fairy tale of the old woman who lived in a shoe.
Esperanza is embarrassed by her ugly brown school shoes and won’t dance with the boy at the baptism.
Rachel doesn’t fit into the fancy shoes the woman with the small feet gives to the girls.
Both A and B
Esperanza’s belief in God is best demonstrated by
the fact that she thinks Darius is wise when he points out a cloud in the sky and says it is God.
her respect and admiration for the nuns at her school.
the compassion Esperanza and her friends demonstrate for Aunt Lupe’s suffering.
her efforts to prevent the boys from making Sally kiss them before they will return her keys.
Which of the following vignettes in the novel help the reader to understand that Esperanza is becoming a young woman?
Esperanza and her friends make up songs about hips, but Nenny who is younger is unable to make up a similar song.
Esperanza lies about her age to get a job because Catholic school is expensive.
Esperanza is attracted to Sire but knows she is not ready for a relationship with him.
A, B, and C
Mamacita, who is upset because the baby is learning to speak English, illustrates that
it is very difficult for immigrants to raise their children in America and still maintain their own cultural identity.
children adjust to the changes in their lives better than adults.
Mamacita is too old and fat to change her ways. She is selfish to try to deny the baby a chance at a good life in America.
Both A and B
Which of the following chapters illustrates that Esperanza, after she achieves her dreams, will return to Mango Street to help others escape? The chapter in which
she wants to have “bums” in her attic.
she talks about Geraldo and his unfortunate death.
Sally is looking at the linoleum roses in her new house.
Minerva, the writer, is trapped by her abusive husband.
The below passage from the novel best illustrates “Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. ...Let one forget his reason for being, they’d all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their arms around the other.”
that trees may be a symbol of maturity in this novel.
that trees have roots just as Esperanza has roots.
that trees grow despite the rough sidewalk, just as Esperanza grows despite her poverty.
that trees may be a symbol for family and family unity.
Which of the following superstitions is presented in the story?
Someone will die if a dog cries and then a yellow bird flies into a window.
To cure a headache, rub a cold egg across your face.
Wearing high-heeled shoes leads young girls into prostitution.
Both A and B
Esperanza’s mother is not abused by her father, but her life is restricted because
she must take care of her aging mother-in-law as well as her four children.
she can speak two languages and sing opera but is forbidden by her husband to take the train into the city.
she does not continue her education because she is ashamed of her poor clothes.
Both A and B
The chapter titled “Those Who Don’t” refers to people who drive down Mango street by accident and illustrates the theme that
sickness strikes its victims randomly.
what other people have is not necessarily better than what you have.
prejudice and fear of other races is felt by people of all colors.
Both A and B
The story about Esperanza and her rice sandwich shows that
Esperanza is ashamed of her mother.
both Esperanza and her mother have good imaginations and a good sense of humor.
Esperanza will do anything to separate herself from Nenny.
Both A and B
The monkey garden may be considered a metaphor for life on Mango Street because
the garden is full of a big variety of life just as Mango Street is full of many kinds of people.
the garden is well cared for until the family with the monkey moves away; then it becomes cluttered with weeds and cars. Mango Street may have been beautiful at one time but the people who built it have moved away and now it is crumbling like the garden.
the garden is a pleasant refuge from life on Mango Street until Sally decides to kiss the boys. Just as Mango Street was a fun place to play as a child but not a good place to live as an adult woman.
A, B, and C
In the following quotation about the tree in Meme’s backyard, what do the balls in the gutters represent? “All around, the neighborhood of roofs, black-tarred and A-framed, and in their gutters, the balls that never came back down to earth.”
the people who leave Mango Street and never return
the dreams of the people on Mango Street that never quite come true
Esperanza’s mother’s lost childhood.
Both A and B
What is suggested about Esperanza’s future in the following passage from the book? “Not a flat. Not an apartment in back. Not a man’s house. Not a daddy’s. A house all my own.”
Esperanza wants to own a single family home in the future.
Esperanza wants to make a successful life for herself, independent of a husband or her father.
Esperanza will always live alone.
Esperanza wants a pretty, feminine house rather than an ugly red brick house like her father’s.
When Louis’ cousin steals the yellow Cadillac, Esperanza learns that
one way to get off Mango Street is to steal but it is not a good way.
Cadillacs are not as much fun to ride in as she imagined.
stealing is wrong and the thief goes to jail if caught.
Both A and B
Esperanza prefers to play with Rachael and Lucy instead of Cathy because
Rachael and Lucy are from Mexico just like Esperanza’s family.
Cathy refuses to let Esperanza ride her bicycle alone; instead she insists that Esperanza ride on the handlebars while Cathy pedals.
Cathy hurts Esperanza’s feelings by saying her family is moving away because the neighborhood is getting bad.
Rachael and Lucy take the time to tell Esperanza all about the people in the neighborhood.
Describe the relationship between Esperanza and her sister Nenny.
They are very close and share everything
They are distant and rarely speak
Esperanza feels responsible for Nenny but also finds her annoying
They are rivals and often fight
Which character in the novel represents the theme of escape and the desire for a better life?
Marin
Alicia
Sally
Cathy
What event marks a significant turning point in Esperanza's understanding of her own identity?
Moving to a new house
Her first job
The death of a family member
Meeting Sally
What is the narrator's name, and what does it mean in English and Spanish?
