Transcript File

“Names / Nombres”
Story Analysis Questions
1. From what point of view is the story told?
The story is told in the first person point of view. Julia
Alverez, the author, is the narrator.
2. In paragraph 1, the family’s name is mispronounced
by the immigration officer. Describe the author’s
reactions to the mispronunciation.
Julia does not like it when the officer mispronounces her
family’s name. She wants to correct the officer, but she
doesn’t because she is afraid her family will not be
allowed in the U.S.
3. Describe the author’s attitude toward her
American “new names” on page 116.
The author says on page 116 that “ it took awhile to get
used to the new names.” She wondered if she should
correct everyone who said her name wrong. Julia wants
to fit in in America, but the new names do not connect to
who she really is.
4. When Mrs. Alvarez quotes Shakespeare on page
116, what advice is she giving Julia about getting along
in America?
Mrs. Alvarez’s quote means that even if people
mispronounce Julia’s name, she is still the same person.
Her advice is to get along with others and not let the
names bother her.
5. On page 117, why did the author state that her
younger sister, Ana, “had the easiest time of all”?
Ana had the easiest time adjusting to her new home
because her name sounded more American that the other
sisters’ names.
6. As a teenager, why does Julia want to be called
Judy? How do you think her attitudes have
changed since then?
When she was a teenager, Julia wanted to blend in with
her friends and not be seen as different. Her attitude
changes as she learns to be proud of her unique heritage.
7. Cite the evidence from pages 117-118 that
demonstrates that Julia did not want to be treated as
the “rare, exotic friend.”
On page 117, Julia says she knows her friends are curious
about her heritage, but she just wants to blend in and not
be seen as different or as a “foreigner.”
8. How does the description of Julia’s extended family
on pages 118-119 further reveal her need to fit in?
On pages 118-119, Julia is nervous about introducing her
large family to her friends at graduation. She says their
family relationships were “convoluted.” She has more
family members at her graduation than her friends do.
9. How does Alvarez’s attitude about her and her
family being different change during the story? Cite
evidence from the story in your answer.
Julia’s attitude changes because she learns to merge her
new life in America with her family’s heritage. At first
she struggled to fit in, but she realizes she can belong in
America and keep her Dominican Republic heritage.
10. What would you say is the main idea of the essay?
Write one significant quotation from the
story that you think supports your idea.
-many possible answers