84 pages • 2 hours read
Angie CruzDominicana
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
In what ways does Dominicana relate to the idea of the American Dream? Identify what elements characterize the American Dream and use evidence from the text in your response.
How does Cruz use Ana and Juan’s apartment as a symbol? What impact does this symbol have on themes in the novel?
Analyze how Ana’s character develops over the narration. How does she change? In what ways does she remain the same? How is Ana’s character development central to themes in the novel?
What allusions does Cruz make to historical events in the United States and abroad in the 1960s? What does this historical background add to the narrative development of the novel?
What role does feminism play in this novel? Consider Ana’s fortitude as well as the female characters she interacts with. Furthermore, how does Ana’s daughter provide a symbol for Cruz’s message on feminism?
Analyze Juan’s character in the novel. Is Juan a multidimensional antagonist? Use textual evidence to support your reasoning.
In your opinion, should Ana have run away with César, or did she make the right decision in staying with Juan? Explain your reasoning.
Ana navigates many conflicts, internal and external. In your interpretation of the novel, what is Ana’s most important or primary conflict? How does she deal with this conflict? How does this conflict impact the themes of the novel?
Cruz’s novel is structured into six parts. What is the effect of this structure on the meaning and tone of the novel?
Discuss the importance of the novel’s title. How does it relate to the themes and characters?
