Being able to summarize, or say something again in your own words, is an important skill. It helps you make sure that you've understood everything, and it's a good practice for arranging your ideas in a logical order.

Write a summary sentence for these chapters we read this week

1.) Meme Ortiz

2.) Marin

3.) There Was an Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn't Know What To Do

4.) Alicia Who Sees Mice

Meme Ortiz

1. Why do you think Meme and his dog both have two names?

2. Support or refute the following statement: The huge tree in Meme’s backyard is a metaphor describing how the outside world views Esperanza’s neighborhood. What can the red balls represent?

3. What does the following passage from the story suggest about Meme’s character? “This is the tree we chose for the First Annual Tarzan Jumping Contest. Meme won. And broke both arms.”

Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin

1. Why do you think Marin stands in the doorway of her home, snapping her fingers and singing the same song over and over again? If she is employed selling cosmetics, why does she still need to baby-sit the younger gals?

2. Support or refute the following statement: Louie’s cousin might have gotten away with stealing the yellow Cadillac if he had not gone back to Mango Street to give his family a ride in the car.

3. After Louie’s cousin is arrested for stealing the yellow car, why do Esperanza and his family all wave to him as the police drive him away? Why aren’t they upset he has been arrested?

4. Why do you think Esperanza describes this incident with Louie’s cousin as being “important”?

Marin

1. Many critics believe this novel expresses many feminist views. From the perspective of a feminist, what is wrong with Marin’s “dream” described in the following passage? “…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.”

2. What does the following passage from the novel suggest about Marin’s fate? What are her chances of finding someone to rescue her from her life on Mango Street? “Marin, under streetlight, dancing by herself, is singing the same song somewhere. I know. Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to change her life.”

Those Who Don’t

1. What does the sentence “All brown all around, we are safe” mean?

2. Support or refute the following statement: Cisneros believes people of all races feel fear and prejudice and fit into the category of “Those Who Don’t.”

There Was on Old Woman She Had So Many Children She Didn’t Know What to Do

1. Cisneros presents many examples of women’s lives on Mango Street. What do you think Esperanza learns about a woman’s life from Rosa Vargas?

2. Why do the neighbors “give up” on the Vargas children?

3. What can you infer about Angel Vargas’ fate by his name?

Alicia Who Sees Mice

1. What is Alicia doing to escape from Mango Street?

2. Support or refute the following statement: The description of the mice is a metaphor for a woman’s life on Mango Street.

3. Why do you think Alicia is afraid of “four-legged fur. And fathers”?