5 Las Guayabas – 6 Los Melones

QUESTIONS
1. Why do mama, Esperanza, and Hortensia have to leave at night hidden in
a wagon?
They didn’t want to be seen by bandits or by Tio Luis’ spies as they escaped to
Zacatecas to take the train.

2. During the wagon ride, why does Hortensia recall the story of a train
journey that Esperanza made with Miguel and Papa?
To help Esperanza relax and remind her to be brave because Esperanza was frightened
and thought she couldn’t breathe.

3. Why does Mama make a yarn doll for the little girl on the train?
Because Esperanza would not let the little girl see her doll, so Mama made one for the
little girl.

4. How did Papa’s death change Miguel’s life?

When Miguel was a young boy, Papa promised to get him a job on the railroad, but
after Papa died, Miguel had no chance of getting a job in Mexico

5. Why does Esperanza’s mother say, “Now we are peasants, too.”?

Because When Mama told Carmen about their problems, Esperanza reminded Mama
that they shouldn’t talk to people about their personal life. But Mama wanted
Esperanza to know that now they do not have much money and are peasants.

6. How does Mama convince the official to let her cross the borders?
She stood proud and calmly gave him her documents. She told him that they came to
work and that their employers are waiting for them.

7. Why does Miguel apologise to Esperanza for his cousin Isabel’s comments?
Because he wrote a letter to Isabel, and it made Esperanza seem arrogant and spoiled.

8. How will Esperanza and her mother earn their living in California?
They will be migrant workers on farms and in the fields.

9. Why does Esperanza dislike Marta?

Marta was cruel to her because Esperanza was rich. She kept talking about Esperanza’s
father in a bad way.
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 5 Las Guayabas – 6 Los Melones

10. According to Isabel, why do the farm workers of different nationalities

live in separate camps?
To prevent them from working together or putting their money together and strike for
a better pay.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

▪ Do you think Esperanza’s reaction to the people on the train is justified?
Can you understand her feelings?
Esperanza talked to the small peasant girl in a cruel way. She felt that she was much
better than those peasants

▪ What does Esperanza learn from the new people she meets – the little girl,
Carmen, and Isabel?
She learned that people with little money help and take care of each other. She
learned not to be selfish and to be kind to people who are kind to her.

▪ In what ways was Esperanza becoming more aware of class distinctions?

As she meets Marta, she finds that Marta hates rich people. And Isabel
told her about the different groups of workers, and Isabel.

▪ How do you think Esperanza and her mother will be able to endure their
new life?
They will have hard time at first, but they will learn to adapt, and they will succeed.
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