Mexican Gothic

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following examples is the strongest example of the theme of The Feminist Gothic in the novel?

A) Noemí, a strong-willed, single female, travels to a distant destination to save her cousin.

B) Noemí, a manipulative woman, uses her charms to get Francis to allow her to use the car.

C) Catalina, a diminutive beauty, slowly wastes away from mental illness.

D) Catalina, a street-smart lady, asks her uncle to rescue her from High Place.

2. Which of the following best states what the ouroboros symbolizes?

A) The Doyle family’s dependence on witchcraft

B) The Doyle family’s incestuous relationships

C) The Doyle family’s quest to live infinitely

D) The Doyle family’s disrespect of Mexican culture

3. What fear plagues Francis after the destruction of High Place?

A) That Howard will reemerge stronger than he previously had been

B) That Noemí will reject him because of his family ties

C) That the family’s curse will live on in him

D) That vandals will scavenge the remains of the family fortune

4. When Noemí confronts Catalina about the disturbing letter she sent, how does Catalina respond?

A) She claims to have never written a letter.

B) She claims she cannot remember what she wrote.

C) She claims that every word in it was true.

D) She claims she deliberately lied so Noemí would come visit.

5. What is implied when Florence requests that meals should be eaten in silence?

A) Noemí’s presence is not welcomed by all at High Place.

B) Florence believes women should be seen and not heard.

C) Noemí’s constant chatter will distract Francis from eating.

D) Florence is plagued by social anxiety.

6. Which course of action would Howard be most likely to adopt based on his eugenic views?

A) Interracial marriages should be supported to encourage a diverse gene pool.

B) Interracial marriages should be avoided at all costs to protect the “superior” gene pool.

C) Interracial marriages have no bearing on desirable heritable traits.

D) Interracial marriages should generally be avoided but can be useful if genetic “defects” become problematic.

7. Which of the following examples is the strongest example of the theme of Colonialism and Imperialism in Mexico in the novel?

A) The Doyles own an unprofitable silver mine much like the ones they had in Europe.

B) The family estate is called High Place in memory of their ancestral home in England.

C) Despite having lived in Mexico for generations, the Doyles only speak English.

D) Virgil has been married twice—once to a European and once to a Mexican.

8. Which of the following best states what the mushrooms and gloom symbolize?

A) Death and corruption

B) Agnes’s mind

C) Liberated femininity

D) Mind-altering drugs

9. Of which crimes are members of the Doyle family guilty?

A) Incest, murder, and embezzlement

B) Fraud, murder, and racism

C) Theft, racism, and embezzlement

D) Incest, murder, and rape

10. What does Noemí want to study at university?

A) Anthropology

B) Biology

C) Theater

D) Botany

11. What does Marta give to Noemí as a form of protection?

A) A tincture

B) A bracelet

C) An amulet

D) A crucifix

12. What is Noemí’s response when Virgil inappropriately says, “You look very fine in my clothes”?

A) She is speechless.

B) She is excited.

C) She is angry.

D) She is worried.

13. What does Noemí experience while in the bathtub?

A) Ice-cold water that traps her beneath the surface

B) A vision of the water turning into blood

C) A dream encounter in which Virgil sexually assaults her

D) An attack at the hands of Florence

14. What is Noemí forced to do after her final dinner at High Place?

A) Kiss Howard

B) Eat mushrooms

C) Drink blood

D) Marry Virgil

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is implied when Catalina places a page of Ruth’s journal in a book of poems for Noemí to discover?

2. What does Howard believe about “hybrid offspring”?