Esperanza Rising Study Guide
The test will have: matching, multiple choice, short answer and a quotation response.
Identify the following. You do not need to use complete sentences.
ABUELITA
Esperanza’s grandmother
ALFONSO
El Jefe, manager of El Rancho de las Rosas, father of Miguel
MIGUEL
Son of Alfonso and Hortensia, good at fixing engines and wants to work for railroad
MARTA
Young woman who wants to strike
ORTEGA
Esperanza’s last name
SIXTO
Esperanza’s father
RAMONA
Esperanza’s mother
JOSEFINA
Isabel’s mother, Miguel’s aunt
HORTENSIA
Housekeeper at El Rancho de las Rosas, mother of Miguel
ISABEL
Miguel’s cousin, wants to be Queen of the May
MR. YAKOTA
A store owner who is kind to Mexicans
MARCO
An evil uncle
NUNS
Abuelita’s sisters, women who live in a convent
JUAN
Alfonso’s brother, Isabel’s father
IMMIGRATION Authorities who send strikers back to Mexico
QUINCEANERA A party for Mexican girls when they turn 15
STRIKERS
People who want higher wages and better living conditions
LA REINA
“My queen,” Miguel’s nickname for Esperanza
CROCHETING
a form of knitting used to take minds off worrying
Why do Papa and Esperanza lie flat on the ground? (p. 1)
To hear the earth’s heartbeat
What is foreshadowing? Give an example of foreshadowing in the story.
When an author gives a hint about plot events (what will happen in the story)
For example, when Esperanza pricks her finger on the rose or when Mama says “bad luck,” when Mama tells
Esperanza she will pray that Esperanza will be strong no matter what happens
Who is responsible for setting fire to El Rancho de las Rosas? (p. 43)
The uncles
Why does Tio Luis want to marry Mama? (p. 33)
To use her popularity and influence to win the election for governor
How did Papa reward Miguel for protecting Esperanza when bandits were robbing the house? (p. 63)
A train ride
How does Esperanza hurt a little girl’s feelings on the train? (p. 69)
She pulls the doll away and won’t let her touch it
Why does Carmen think she is rich when she is actually quite poor? (p.76)
Because she has things that make her happy and rich in spirit, like her family, her faith, and her memories;
material objects (things like nice clothes and a big house) aren’t needed to be happy because she appreciates
the love and blessings around her
What is Miguel's dream job? (pp. 73-74)
To work for the railroad as a mechanic
What does Esperanza feed Lupe and Pepe that makes them sick? (p. 142)
Raw plums
How is Esperanza's life different at the camp than in Mexico?
No one waits on her; she has jobs (chores) to do; she isn’t living in a beautiful house with nice clothes and lovely
rooms; she is a peasant, not a princess; she must share a tiny cabin with four other people; she is far away from
Abuelita
How does the dust storm affect Mama? (p. 155)
She develops Valley Fever and becomes very ill
Why does Esperanza start working? (p. 165)
To pay the bills and earn money to bring Abuelita to California
Why do Miguel and Esperanza shop at Mr. Yakota's market when other markets are closer to the camp? (p.
187)
He stocks his store with food and items that Mexicans want to buy and treats them with respect
Describe the strikers' camp. (p. 193)
Ten wooden toilets for hundreds of people; smelly; people living in tents, cars or under burlap sacks; one water
pipe for the whole camp; an irrigation ditch used for washing and bathing; surrounded by a chain-link fence
What do the strikers do to disrupt the work in the packing shed? (p. 202)
Shout insults, throw rocks, hide dangerous things in the bins (glass, razor blades, snakes)
How does Esperanza help Marta? (p. 208)
She gives her an apron and some asparagus so she looks like a worker and can escape the immigration
authorities during the sweep
Why does Miguel lose his job as a mechanic at the railroad? (p. 219)
Men from Oklahoma arrive and are willing to work for less; the railroad only hires Mexicans to dig ditches and
lay tracks
A few days before Esperanza's birthday, she begs Miguel to drive her to the foothills. Why? (pp. 247-248)
To hear the earth’s heartbeat
What is Esperanza's birthday surprise? (p. 251)
Alfonso, Juan, and Miguel sing the birthday song outside her window
FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
SEVERAL ANSWERS ARE ACCEPTABLE. THESE ARE JUST A FEW.
PLEASE DO NOT MEMORIZE THESE ANSWERS.
YOUR RESPONSE SHOULD BE YOUR OWN THINKING IN YOUR OWN VOICE.
Describe at least 2 ways that Esperanza’s personality or attitude changes over the course of the story. Use
specific details from the story.
More generous: gives Isabel the doll, gives the striker’s children the piñata and their father some beans
More compassionate: helps Marta escape even though she has been cruel to Esperanza
Less selfish: volunteers to work in order to earn money; feels badly about leaving the shed early and leaving the
women shorthanded to do the work
Explain why the cover of the book shows a picture of a girl with flowers in her hands floating in the sky.
In the story, Esperanza floats above the valley and sees all the people she knows and loves. the roses represent
leaving the past behind and embracing her new life, letting go of Papa in one way but keeping him with her
always in another way. the farms represent Esperanza’s new perspective on life and how she thinks as a field
worker now. The river represents her new relationship with Miguel (they are now equals). The mountains
represent the zigzag, the good and bad times Esperanza faces.
Explain what these metaphors mean:
Zigzag blanket (pp. 243-246):
Life is like the zigzag blanket – it goes up and down, has good times and hard times, mountains and valleys.
The river between Esperanza and Miguel (p. 18)
The river represents the divide between Esperanza’s and Miguel’s social status. She is the daughter of a wealthy
land-owner, and he is a peasant, so they will never be equals in their community. It is as if they are standing on
opposite sides of a river that will never have a bridge.
The “valley of Mama being sick” (p. 160)
Mama’s illness is a valley, a low point in Esperanza’s life, part of the mountains and valleys of the zigzag blanket.
It is a terrible time for her, but she will climb out of it and life will get better.
Explain what these symbols mean:
Esperanza’s hands (p. 181-182)
Esperanza’s scarred and swollen hands represent the drastic changes in her life. She isn’t a wealthy landowner’s daughter anymore, someone whose hands are smooth, clean, and delicate. She is a campesina now, a
peasant whose hands work hard and are rough and damaged because life is not easy.
Pinata (p. 213):
The beaten up piñata represents the strikers’ hopes and dreams. Immigration has crushed their attempt to
make things better, and they no longer believe that they can change things, just like the piñata is destroyed and
empty.
FOR THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
THESE ARE SAMPLE ANSWERS.
PLEASE DO NOT MEMORIZE THESE ANSWERS.
YOU SHOULD WRITE A RESPONSE BASED ON YOUR OWN THINKING AND YOUR OWN VOICE.
Please explain how these quotations are important to Esperanza’s life:
"Do not be afraid to start over." (p. 49, p.253)
Esperanza has to start over in many ways: life without Papa, moving to California, becoming a peasant, learning
how to work, taking responsibility when Mama gets sick. These are all scary things to happen, so it’s natural to
be afraid, but starting over in these ways teaches Esperanza important lessons and changes her into a more
compassionate, generous person. Abuelita’s advice about knitting goes for life, as well – even if it’s frightening,
Esperanza should accept the changes in her life and try to become better because of them.
He who falls today may rise tomorrow.
Esperanza must face great hardships. First she loses her beloved father, then she must leave behind everything
she has known, and finally she must figure out who she is and how she fits into an entirely new, different world.
But even though she experiences many difficulties, there is always the hope of a better tomorrow. Ultimately,
the bad times help her become stronger, and they help her appreciate the blessings she has. No bad time ever
lasts forever, and because Esperanza learns to be patient and positive, she will climb out of those hard times.
The rich person is richer when he becomes poor than the poor person when he becomes rich.
At the beginning of the story, Esperanza is rich in “things.” She has beautiful clothes, a huge house, and servants
to wait on her. It’s everything a girl could ever want. But Esperanza is not rich in character; she is a selfish,
arrogant princess. Only when she loses all of her money and expensive things does Esperanza become truly
wealthy, as she realizes how much she has to be grateful for. She has people around her who love her, she has
the strength and commitment to face difficult times, and she has the memory of her papa and his beautiful
roses. Like Carmen the egg lady, Esperanza is rich even though she is poor because she appreciates the
blessings of her life and is grateful for the things and people that truly make her happy.