Thinking Cap Section!
1. Esperanza changed from the beginning of the story to the end. Compare and Contrast Esperanza at the beginning of the story from Esperanza at the end of the story.
2. Predict what would have happened if Miguel didn’t fetch Esperanza’s grandmother from Mexico. Do you think Esperanza would have been able to see her grandmother?
3. What evidence can you find about the relationship between Miguel and Esperanza? What do you think Esperanza means when she says, “I stand on one side of the river and Miguel stood on the other and the rivers could never be crossed.”
4. Do you agree with Ramona’s (Esperanza’s mother) actions with the proposal? Do you think she should have married Tio Luis? Why or why not?
5. When Esperanza is about to leave Aguascalientes, Mexico, why do you think that Esperanza feels that she is leaving her Papa?
6. Based on what you know, what is your opinion of Marta? What facts can you select to show her good or bad actions?
7. Why do you think that Esperanza describes Mama being sick as living in a valley?
8. How did Papa dying, El Rancho De Las Rosas burning down and moving to San Joaquin Valley make Esperanza a much stronger girl?
9. Predict what would have happened if Mama had not survived. Do you think Esperanza’s mood, actions, and relationship with others would have change?
10. When El Ranch De Las Rosas was burning down, out of all things, Abuelita decided to grab her bag filled with crocheting. Other than for entertainment, why else would have Abuelita grabbed her crocheting?
11. What judgment can you make about Mama? When Mama was meeting Juan and Josefina, why does she say, ”Thank you for all that you have done for us already”, after they had just met?
12. On their journey to the San Joaquin valley, Mama carried what they called the “poor box”, which was a box filled with dirty clothes to wear. When Esperanza asked why they needed to worry about a poor family who needed clothes, Mama responded sternly, “Esperanza, these clothes are for us.” What is your opinion of Esperanza’s actions and how do they change?
13. When Esperanza was left with the job of babysitting baby Pepe and Lupe, she accidently fed them an over amount of plums and caused them to get sick. To cure their aching stomachs, Esperanza made them rice milk and the babies were instantly healed. What other motherly instincts occurred and why do you think Esperanza was so motherly?
14. Esperanza fought for her life and place in the world. Based on her solutions to her problems can you solve your own problems using what you have learned about others and their struggles?
15. What were the benefits of Esperanza learning the life of a poor person, rather than Esperanza learning the life of a rich person?
16. What do you think can result if Tio Lius and his men found Esperanza and Mama? What would their future soon become?
17. On page 178, Esperanza explains to Mama that she will be la patona or the leader of the family. Even though Mama did not respond to Esperanza’s offering, if you were Mama how would you feel about your daughter being the new leader and supplier of the family.
18. Why do you think Miguel choose to take Esperanza’s money orders and went to retrieve Abuelita?
19. Esperanza learned and accepted that she was now a peasant. Why was it fatal that she learned that she was poor and how do you think others would have treated her if she wasn’t?
20. Isabel was an incredibly curious and wondrous girl. What questions can be asked in an interview with Isabel? There should be a minimum of three questions asked.
