Question

Which TWO sentences best describe main themes of the poem?

a) The cruel reality that many immigrants face can gradually rob them of their humanity.
b) Things are always changing, so people should make decisions without fear of change.
c) As people grow older, they must evaluate — and sometimes give up — their dreams.
d) People who wish to improve their own lives should heed the lessons of their elders.
e) Many people mistakenly believe that life will improve if they start over in a new place.
f) As long as they work hard, all immigrants who come to this country can enjoy success.

Which of the following TWO quotes best support the answer to Part A?
a) "The old men who have lived here stare at us / from deep disturbed eyes" (Lines 16-17)
b) "The administration says this is temporary / so we go about our business" (Lines 26-27)
c) "The doctors don’t care, our bodies decay" (Lines 39)
d) "with a dream in their heart, / thinking they’ll get a chance to change their lives." (Lines 58-59)
e) "others will go on living / without a soul, a future, or a reason to live." (Lines 63-64 )
f) "gone from life itself, so many things have changed." (Line 70)

How does working in roles like dishwasher and field hand initially affect the speaker?
a) The speaker is satisfied at first with these opportunities to earn money.
b) The speaker feels disappointed but believes that things will quickly get better.
c) The speaker wishes to complain about this poor treatment to the administration.
d) The speaker feels upset but understands that everyone must start at the bottom.

What impact does the repetition of the word "some" in line 62, line 63, and line 65 have on the poem’s tone?
a) It creates a curious tone, as the speaker wonders which path the immigrants will take in their lives.
b) It produces an informative tone, as the speaker recites a list of possible paths without displaying emotion.
c) It creates a resigned tone, as the speaker sees little hope in the future lives of the new immigrants.
d) It produces a cautionary tone, as the speaker warns young people of the consequences of giving up their dreams.

How does the speaker’s point of view evolve between stanza 2 and stanza 5?
a) True
b) False

Answer 1

While the main themes cannot be fully determined without the full poem, the themes and corresponding quotes provided suggest issues facing immigrants (a) and (e) are central, with a possible resigned tone due to the repetition of 'some'. The speaker's point of view evolves to reflect the narrative's emotional and experiential depth.

Step-by-step explanation:

To answer the student's literature question, it is important to closely analyze the provided quotes and themes to best determine which options align with the main themes of the poem. Without access to the full poem, we cannot definitively answer which two sentences best describe its main themes. However, judging from the quotes provided, one might infer themes related to the harsh experiences of immigrants (a) and misplaced optimism about starting anew in a new place (e). If these are correct, the corresponding quotes that best support these themes would be (a) "The old men who have lived here stare at us / from deep disturbed eyes" (Lines 16-17) and (e) "others will go on living / without a soul, a future, or a reason to live." (Lines 63-64), as these lines reflect the loss of humanity and the futile hope for a better life, respectively.

The impact of the repetition of the word "some" in the poem could suggest a resigned tone (c), as it may reflect the speaker's view that the outcomes for different individuals are varied yet generally bleak. The evolution of the speaker's point of view from the second to the fifth stanza suggests a shift from narrative to interrogative, to lyrical and introspective, and finally to a direct address, indicating the dynamic nature of the poem's narrative voice.

Themes of immigration, struggle, and identity can be inferred from the mention of working as a dishwasher and field hand, as well as the evolution in the speaker's point of view, reflecting both personal and collective experiences of immigrants.