• Esperanza's riches-to-rags story was based on Pam's grandmother .

• During the hot summers Pam would spend most of her time riding her bike down to the library, since her family did not have a pool, and the library was air-conditioned which is why she got hooked on reading and books.
• After college Pam knew she wanted to have a career with books .
• Pam became a teacher before an author .
• Pam Munoz Ryan considers herself truly American because her cultural background is Spanish, Italian, Basque, Mexican, and Oklahoman.

 

 

During the course of this novel, Esperanza has to overcome several problems.  In the space below, identify several problems and how she solves them.  (Hint:  explain the steps taken to solve the problems.  A graphic organizer might be useful.)     

 

-Esperanza must overcome leaving her home,

     1- she talks it over with her family, Miguel, Hortensia and Alfonso, 

     2- they make sure it is Okay with Abuelita with her hurt ankle.

      1-Isabel teaches her to sweep.

 It is set during the Great Depression. It is just after the Mexican Revolution, but there are many bandits attacking wealthy landowners and Esperanza's family owns a wealthy ranch called El Rancho de las Rosas. Then bandits kill Esperanza's father.

 

2.      How does Esperanza's father feel about the land?  Do you think every land owner in Mexico felt the "heartbeat" of the earth? 

 Esperanza's father feels that if you love the land, it will love you back.  No, I think some wealthy landowners just wanted money and were greedy.

 

 

3.      Authors use foreshadowing to help readers get a sense of what might be happening later in the story.  What event does the Pam Munoz Ryan use to foreshadow the event that happens at the end of the first chapter?

      Esperanza pricks her finger on a thorn bush. 

 

4.      What do Esperanza and Miguel mean when they say that in Mexico they "stand on different sides of the river"?  (page 37) 

        Esperanza is the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner and Miguel is a servant. No matter how hard Miguel works he'll always be a servant, and no matter how lazy Esperanza is she'll always be wealthy.

5.      Why do Hortensia and Alfonso offer to take Esperanza and her mother to America with them even though they are risking their lives to help them escape?

        Esperanza's family was nice to the servants and developed a close relationship with Hortensia and Alfonso.  They want to do the right thing and help the people who are close to them.

Week Two:  pages 58-120

 

1.      What character traits best describe Esperanza?  Use examples form the story to defend your position.

      Bravery - she has to leave her home

      Strength - her father dies, she has to leave her home, and she has to leave her grandmother behind

 

2.      How is the woman, Carmen, rich, even though she is poor?

       She has a nice, loving family, a job, and a house with which she can spend time with her family.

 

 

3.      When Esperanza meets Isabel in California, she smiles at her, yet thinks Isabel can be so happy about “such little things." (page 90)  What does this tell us about Esperanza's character?

       That Esperanza likes very fancy expensive things.

 

 

4.      How does Marta treat Esperanza?  Why do you think Marta acts this way towards her?  What can we learn about the character, Marta? (page 96)  

       Marta treats Esperanza like a greedy rich person.  Marta's father died in the Mexican Revolution fighting against wealthy non-caring land owners.   Marta does not know that Esperanza's father was a very genorous land owner, so she thinks Esperanza's father was a greedy ranch owner.  Marta should not have judged Esperanza for previously being wealthy.  Marta should have tried and gotten to know Esperanza. 

 

 

5.      Compare the setting in Aquascalientes to the company camp in California.  How is Esperanza’s life different in each place?  How is it similar?

 It's different- Aquascalientes has a lot of grass,it has grape vines, people are dressed nicer,it has a big house on the land.

It's similar- it is hot, they have a cabin.

 

 

6.      What kind of new skills must Esperanza learn in order to live in California?

       

       How to cook, sweep, take her own bathes, how to take care of babies.  She must learn to live without servants to do everything for you.

 

 Week Three:  pages 121-178

 

1.      Why does Mama say, “Didn’t I tell you Papa’s heart would find us where ever we went?

 

 Because Esperanza was feeling Papa's presence.

 

2.      After one day at the farm camp, Esperanza and her family have bruises.  How are Esperanza’s bruises different from those of her family?

 

Her family has real bruises on their bodies, but Esperanza is bruised from having to learn so much so quickly about taking care of the house Esperanza's are not physical bruises.

 

3.      Why is Mama the only one to get sick with Valley Fever?

 

 She was in the fields during the dust storm and she isn't used to the dust spores.

Her immune system isn't strong enough to fight the infections.

 

4.      Why does Mama want Abuelita’s blanket?  What do we learn about Mama because of this?

 

 Mama wants the blaket because it reminds her of Abuelita.  We learn that Mama loves her mother very much.

 

5.      Why does Esperanza feel she must work in the sheds with the older women?

Mama can't and they need money.

 

Week Four:  pages 179-233

 

1.      Esperanza learns that she misses some very specific things about her mother.  What are they, and why does this surprise her?

Strong and assured laughter,the way she walks into a room,graceful and regal,the way she crochets her finger moving nimbly.

 

 

2.      Josefina and Hortensia tell Esperanza and Miguel to shop only at the Japanese store.   Why?  What does Alfonso mean when he tells Miguel Mr. Yakota is “getting rich on other peoples bad manners”?

 Mr. Yakota treats Mexicans like normal people, not poor, dirty, useless people.  If the other stores do not want the Mexicans then Mr. Yakota will make much more profit.

 

 

3.      Why do some of the farm workers feel they must strike while others do not?  As a group, decide whether or not you would choose to strike and then explain why you made that decision.

 Some workers want better working conditions, so they strike.  Others want to support their familys so they don't strike.

 Our group wouldn't strike because we would need money to support our families rather than risk not having a job.

 

4.      What is the reaction of your group to the bus coming to pick up the strikers and deport them from the country?  Is it fair to deport people who are citizens?  Does it seem right to tear up someone’s immigration papers?

 

I don't think it's fair because America is a free country and just because they're Mexican doesn't mean they can kick them out. You don't see them kicking white people out of America!

I don't think they should have done that, they could give the strikers a warning.  If they are citizens and they are doing some bad thing then the company shouldn't deport them but maybe move them out of the state.  It is not right to tear up someone's immigration papers.  That is proof that they are citizens. 

 I think that wasn't the right choice, but what would you have done?  Imagine your a big agricultural company and own a camp there.  Let's say heating, electrical, and water cost 800$ a year.  Multiply that by 50 cabins in a camp and thats 40,000$ a year you would pay.  Would you want some people causing trouble and not working when theres plenty of more people out there that will work for less than you already pay the Mexicans?  Would you rather get them out of the country or pay 40,000$ a year.  And remember this is 20 years before a candy bar cost 5 cents, so 40,000$ would be quite a bit of money back in the good old days when they didn't have fancy television and they liked it. Think of it this way, theres 500 people from your country and 500 people from a different country. Your heritage does not derive from that foreign country nor do you have any relational ties with either. Who will you hire?

 

5.      Prejudice is an evil thing.  Unfortunately, we experience it in our daily lives.  Identify some examples of discrimination that Esperanza and the other people who live at the camp must endure.

 Isabel wants to be Queen of May.  They said they chose the queen based on grades, but really they just always found a way picked a blue-eyed blonde white girl, and Isabel has straight A's, so she had high hopes of winning, and prayed every day for it.  Once there was a Japanese girl that had perfect marks, but they didn't pick her. Another one is there was a new pool installed, but the Mexicans were able to use it on Saturday, the day before they cleaned it, and it was most likely because the people in charge thought Mexicans were dirty, and unhygienic.

 

6.      Miguel tries to reassure Esperanza about the injustice she sees in the world around her.  Is he successful?  Explain the outcome.  Do you think this is related to the missing money orders?

I don't think he was very successful because at the end Esperanza and Miguel were shouting at each other.  I don't think this is related to the missing money orders because Miguel seems like a nice guy and I don't think that he would do something as mean as take somebody's money without a very good reason.

 

7.      On the ride to California, Esperanza refuses to allow a peasant girl to touch her treasured doll; yet later she offers to give the doll to Isabel.  What has brought about this change in her feelings?

 In the beginning she has troubles getting over the fact that she is now a peasant and must share.  Later she has accepts that she is a peasant and knows that sharing or giving is the right thing.

 Week Five:  pages 234-262

 

 

1.      How  does the situation with the missing money orders work out?

 It works out fine because Miguel took the money orders to bring back Abuelita.

 

 

2.      In what way does the crocheted blanket mirror Esperanza’s experiences?

 During this book, Esperanza has her ups and downs and no matter how many stitches down there are, theres always going to be more stitches going up. (Something good always prevailed over something bad.)

 

 

3.      After reading the book do you think the title Esperanza Rising is appropriate?  Explain.

 Yes, she rises above being a rich girl, she becomes more responsible and learns to take care of herself.

 

 

4.      Describe the ways in which the character of Esperanza has changed or grown from the beginning of the book.  Use examples from the story to support your answer.

 She becomes more responsible.  She learns to take care of herself, the babies, and her mother. 

 

5.  Complete the table.

Chapter Title/Food	How does the food appear in the story	What does the fruit symbolize?
Grapes	Esperanza and her family grow them at their ranch.	When they are done harvasting the grapes, it's time for Esperanza's birthday.
Papayas	Her dad orders papayas for Esperanza's birthday.	It is a happy time for the family because Esperanza is turning another year older and Hortensia made papya, coconut, and lime salad every year.
Figs	The figs trees are the end of Papa'a land .	They are now out and starting a new life.
Guavas	When Esperanza and Mama sneek away, the are in a cart transporting guavas.	Guavas have a strong scent and could hide the scent of Esperanza and the others in case of dogs from Tio Luis trying to find them.
Cantaloupes	Trucks filled with cantaloupes drive by Esperanza and the others.	Something big could be coming that could effect everyones job.
Onions	Women were starting to peel them for dinner.	Something could start and peel apart.
Almonds	Josefina gives Esperanza and Isabel a bag of almonds she wants shelled.	Something soft and warm may be cracke like the shell of the almond.
Plums	Esperanza feeds the babies mashed plums, but the are to ripe and make the babies sick.	Somebody else could soon be getting sick.
Potatoes	Esperanza takes her first job finding potatoe eyes.	This is a good time for Esperanza because she is working hard and is well.
Avocados	Esperanza mashes up Avocados and rubs them on her hands.	This is a sad time for Esperanza because her mom is ill and she is missing her and she is thinking of her when she rubs the Acocados on her hands.
Asparagus	She bundled the Asparagus and gave it to Marta to act like she was working.	Asparagus symbolizes being able hide so you can fight for your freedom.
Peaches	Esperanza picked peaches for her and her mom.	Esperanza is happy because her mom is doing well.
Grapes	Esperanza picks the grapes once again.	This is a new beginning for Esperanza and her family