The House of the Scorpion Novel Test Preparation

It is difficult to “study” for a novel test. The test will consist of a range of question types: basic recall, drawing conclusions, making judgments, etc. Here are some tips for preparing for the novel test:

  1. If you were absent or fell behind in the reading at any point, go back and carefully read those chapters you may have skipped or skimmed.
  2. Study your VOCABULARY!
  3. Review the “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of the novel.
  4. Review/think about our class discussions, character analysis sheets, and reading quizzes.
  5. Locate the following quotes in the text. Reread them in the context of the novel, and then be able to tell the significance of the quote. Telling the significance of the quote means to not only tell to whom or what the quote is referring, but also tell why it is IMPORTANT: Does it reveal something important about a character? Does it make an important comparison? Does it foreshadow (give a hint) of something important to come? Does it relate to a recurring theme in the novel?

“‘Don’t fix that one,’ said Lisa, hastily catching his arm. ‘It’s a Matteo Alacrán. They’re always left intact.” (pg. 4)

“‘Very dark indeed is his majesty when he wants to be. When he was young, he made a choice, like a tree does when it decides to grow one way or the other. He grew large and green until he shadowed over the whole forest, but most of his branches are twisted.’” (pg. 70)

“Matt looked down at his toes. That’s all he was: a photograph.” (pg. 80)

“‘They wont—the doctors won’t—inject me later?’

Celia hugged him again. ‘No darling. You’re safe from that. You’re safe for as long as you live.’” (pg. 125)

“‘I always say the truth is best even when we find it unpleasant. Any rat in a sewer can lie. It’s how rats are. It’s what makes them rats. But a human doesn’t run and hide in dark places, because he’s something more. Lying is the most personal act of cowardice there is.’” pg. 134

“He was six years old again, master of a kingdom of gristle and bone and rotting fruit hidden beneath the sawdust in a little room.” pg. 135

“‘Saint Francis took a wolf to church,’ she said. ‘He loved all animals.’” (pg. 154)

“‘We should all have grown up, but I was the only survivor. I am meant to have those lives! I am meant to have justice!’” (pg. 233)

“‘Why don’t you put a computer chip in the horse’s brain? Then it wouldn’t matter how many legs it had. […] I don’t see much difference between that and sawing off the extra leg…’” (pg. 274)

“He felt like he’d been walking across a desert all his life and now he’d arrived at the biggest and best oasis in the world.” (pg. 276)

“This was probably what María called having a conscience. It was even more of a pain than friendship.” (pg. 312)

“Deer Matt, […] El Patron says I have to go with him. I cant do anything about it.” (pgs. 149, 378, & 379)