1. Comprehension Check
Setting Describe Aguascalientes Character How do you know that Papa loved the land?

2. Character’s Point of View Why did Esperanza
want to scold her father on page 11?
Cause and Effect Why might bandits attack
Papa?

3. Abuelita teach Esperanza about life?
Character On pages 14-15, what two lessons did
Abuelita teach Esperanza about life?
Character’s Motive On pages 17-18, why did Miguel
stop talking to Esperanza?

4. Foreshadowing On page 20, Tio Luis brought
back Papa’s belt buckle. What did this foreshadow?
Inferencing On page 22, what probably hap-
pened to Papa?

5. p. 34 Inference Esperanza got many gifts for
her birthday, but she only wanted the doll. Why?
Setting On pages 32-33, what was the house like
every night after Papa died?

6. Inference On pages 28, when Tio Luis and
Tio Marco “took care of family business”, what
were they really doing?
Conflict What did Tio Luis want? What did
Mama want?

7. Comparisons On page 47, according to Miguel,
how was the U.S. different from Mexico?
Character’s Point of View On page 36, how
Did Esperanza feel about Miguel when he
touched her hand?

8. Inference How do you think the fire started?
Author’s Style How did the author use
Esperanza’s dream to show there was a fire?

9. Character’s Motive Why did Mama say she
would think about Tio Luis’s proposal?
Why did Mama lie to Tio Luis when she said
she would marry him?

10. Character How did Esperanza feel when she
first saw the wagon?
Flashback On pages 61-62, why did
Hortensia tell the story about the bandits?

11. Comparisons Pages 69-70. Think about
Esperanza’s experience on the train. How did
her life change?
Character’s Feelings Why was Esperanza
glad when the little girl got off the train?

12. Character Mama told a poor woman about her
problems. What did this illustrate about Mama?
Comparisons How was the journey different
for Miguel and Esperanza?

13. Inference On page 82, why do you think the
official seems angry at Esperanza?
Character’s Motive On page 85, why is
Esperanza so angry at Alfonso and Miguel for
getting on the train at last minute?

14. Sequence On page 91, Esperanza thought about
the heartbeat of the earth. What happened after
she tried to hear it?
Character Describe Miguel’s personality.

15. Conflict On page 98, according to Marta, why
should the workers stop working?
Character’s Feelings On page 99, why was
Esperanza angry when Miguel talked to Marta?

16. Setting On page 100, why did the cabins remind
Esperanza of the horse stalls on Papa’s ranch?
Inference On pages , why did
Esperanza tell Isabel that she would leave the
camp soon?

17. Comparisons How did Mama change her hair?
Why?
Character’s Motive On page 112, Esperanza
was nice to Sylvia? Why?

18. Conclusions Marta said mean things and
laughed at Esperanza when she tried to sweep.
What does this show about Marta?
Character’s Motive On pages , why
do you think Miguel taught Esperanza how to
sweep?

19. Plot Alfonso and Miguel had a surprise for
Esperanza and Mama. What was it?

20. Cause and Effect Why didn’t Esperanza want to
go to the jamaica at first? What made her decide to
go?
Sequence What did the workers do after Marta
tried to get them to strike?

21. Inference On page 132-133, do you think
Esperanza understood Marta better? Why?
Cause and Effect On pages , why did the
babies get sick?

22. Summarize What was the one thing Esperanza
did right? How did she know how to do this?
Character’s Point of View Did Esperanza
agree with the workers in her camp about the
strike?

23. Inference Why did Mama keep coughing?
Summarize On page , how did the doctor
describe valley fever?

24. Conflict On pages 159-160, Esperanza had
to face another terrible problem? What was
it?
Character’s Motive Esperanza began to crochet
the blanket. What else had she promised
Abuelita she would do?

25. Cause and Effect Why did Hortensia tell
Esperanza not to send a letter to Abuelita?
Plot Why did Esperanza start working in the
sheds?

26. Character’s Motive Why did Marta’s aunt say
that Marta could not live with her family?
Comparisons On page , what did
Isabel have? What did Esperanza want?

27. Inference Why did Esperanza call herself la
patrona, or the head of the family?
Cause and Effect On page 183, Esperanza
could not visit Mama anymore in the hospital?
Why?

28. Inference When Mama said, “No matter what
happens,” what do you think she meant?
Summarize On page 187, what did some Ameri-
cans think about Mexicans?