The House of the Scorpion: Chapters 15-22

Name______Period______

Directions: Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. They must be turned in on the day they are due. Ten (10) points will be taken off for each day they are late.

The House of the Scorpion: Chapters 15-22

1.  What is a convent and why might this turn Maria into a “proper” young lady?

2.  How has Rosa changed in chapter 15 from previous chapters? Why?

3.  How has MacGregor changed in chapter 15 from previous chapters? Why?

4.  Matt had no education in religion. What details in chapter 15 provide this information?

5.  What is the irony in the priest’s reaction to Matt?

6.  What does Maria compare Matt to in chapter 16?

7.  What does Maria expect for Matt in death?

8.  Is Felicia the pitiful creature she seemed earlier in the book? Explain with details from chapter 16.

9.  Tam Lin is obviously very intelligent even though he is not educated (illiterate). What details from the book support this statement?

10.  What is an abomination and why does Matt call himself this?

11.  Define malevolence. How does Matt’s description of Felicia match with this term?

12.  What is creosote and how is it used? Do we have creosote in this area of the U.S.A.?

13.  Why do you think Tam Lin left the book A History of Opium for Matt to read?

14.  What is a “fuhrer”? What time period in history has this term been used before?

15.  What does Matt find out about Tam Lin in chapter 17? Does this change your attitude about him? Explain.

16.  Explain a piggyback transplant.

17.  Matt became sick with carbon dioxide poisoning after visiting the eejit pens. How did this save him?

18.  Who was El Dorado and what is the comparison?

19.  Tam Lin warns Matt with a story about coal. Explain.

20.  How did Tam Lin explain Matt’s birth?

21.  Matt now believe the quote from A History of Opium, “a more evil, vicious, and self-serving man could hardly be imagined.” Why?

22.  What does Matt discover about Maria’s mother?

23.  What was keeping Matt from escaping to Aztlan?

24.  What are El Patron’s plans for Maria’s future?

25.  Explain the metaphor “they reminded Matt of vultures huddling over an antelope.”

26.  Why does the author keep making reference to pharaohs and ancient Egypt?

27.  Matt has always looked up to Steven and Emilia. In chapter 22, they make it clear to Matt that they don’t appreciate him. How does Steven describe Matt?

DUE DATE: ______