Under The Mesquite

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. From which perspective is the novel written?

A) First person

B) Second person

C) Third person, limited

D) Third person, omniscient

2. What is the primary conflict of the novel?

A) Lupita fights to pursue her writing dreams.

B) Lupita struggles to belong in a new community.

C) Lupita seeks independence from her family.

D) Lupita finds strength through loss and change.

3. Which of the following transformations happens while Lupita is staying with her grandmother in Mexico?

A) Lupita embraces her responsibilities.

B) Lupita lets go of her grief.

C) Lupita conquers her fears.

D) Lupita accepts her identity.

4. Which of the following is the strongest symbol of Lupita’s characterization?

A) The mesquite

B) Her writing notebook

C) The bus ticket

D) Her acting trophy

5. Which poetic device or form is NOT a prominent feature of Lupita’s writing style?

A) Imagery

B) Simile and metaphor

C) Rhyme scheme

D) Free verse

6. How does the author emphasize Lupita’s cultural identity throughout the novel?

A) By making frequent allusions to Mexican history

B) By describing Lupita’s traditional clothing  

C) By referencing important Mexican celebrations

D) By interspersing Lupita’s verse with Spanish words

7. What does Mami’s garden primarily represent in the novel?

A) Creation and vitality

B) Dedication and persistence

C) Family and nurturing

D) Friendship and kindness

8. Which of the following is NOT a major theme in the novel?

A) The strength of familial bonds

B) Having faith in loyal friends

C) Resilience in the face of loss

D) Identity and adapting to change

9. What is the most significant motivation that drives Lupita’s choices throughout the novel?

A) Determination to be strong

B) Desire for belonging

C) Passion for success

D) Commitment to growth

10. What does Lupita believes it means to be Mexican?

A) Celebrating her quinceñera

B) Following the family traditions

C) Speaking primarily in Spanish

D) Supporting her community

11. How does language play a significant role in Lupita’s development?

A) It characterizes her heritage.

B) It demonstrates her intelligence.

C) It is a tool of self-expression.

D) It is a symbol of grief.

12. Which poetic device does Lupita use in the line “[Cancer] has closed the doors / behind itself, drawn the curtains, / and locked us in for good” to suggest the devastating, totalizing effect the return of Mami’s cancer has had on the family?

A) Imagery

B) Personification

C) Metaphor

D) Allegory

13. Which of the following lines best captures Lupita’s solemn, elegiac tone after her mother’s loss?

A) “Mi madre / was faceted / like a diamond.”

B) “Sometimes / she was a sirena, / an enchanting mermaid / harmonizing / along with the radio / when she thought / she was alone.”

C) “Sometimes / she was as comfortable / as a blanket, / enveloping us / in her warmth.”

D) “Mi madre was as silent / as a statue: cold / and perfectly still, / waxed in beauty / for eternity.”

14. Which of the following best describes the novel’s resolution?

A) Lupita moves forward despite uncertainty.

B) Lupita finally accepts her true identity.

C) Lupita finds community in her Mexican heritage.

D) Lupita releases resentment for Mami’s suffering.

15. Which quote best expresses the novel’s theme on Coming of Age and Adapting to Change?

A) “Where [Mami’s] garden used to bloom, / dusty holes stare back at me / from the barren soil / of what is like a miniature graveyard. / But the mesquite / is as strong as ever.”

B) “Inside, though, I am / still caught in a swamp, / trying to trudge my way / through the devastating loss / I feel with Mami gone.”

C) “Abuelita nods and says, / ‘Sometimes it’s best to take things down / and start all over again. / It’s the way of the world, Lupita. / No use fighting it.’”

D) “But for a long time now / I’ve been dormant, / like the cicadas that wait / seventeen years before they emerge / from the ground.”

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the significance of the title of the novel?

2. How do Mami and Lupita’s roles in the family change after Mami gets sick?

3. How does Lupita’s perspective of “uprooting” transform from the beginning to the end of the novel?