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134 pages 4 hours read

Ruta Sepetys

The Fountains of Silence: A Novel

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019

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Exam Questions

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

Multiple Choice

1. Which character functions as the novel’s protagonist?

A) Daniel

B) Ana

C) Rafa

D) Puri

2. Which character’s beliefs are most shaped by Francoist propaganda?

A) Julia’s

B) Ben’s

C) Puri’s

D) Fuga’s

3. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of Ana’s decision to send Daniel away?

A) She knows that sending Daniel away is the best way to protect him.

B) She is tired of her family’s disapproval of her relationship.

C) She finally realizes that Daniel does not really love her.

D) She has finally accepted the limitations of life under Franco.

4. How has Ana changed when Daniel reunites with her after his return to Spain?

A) She has become kinder and more understanding.

B) Her demeanor is freer and more open.

C) She seems subdued and worn out from her experiences.

D) Her sense of humor is darker and more cynical.

5. What event is the turning point in Rafa’s understanding of his own fear?

A) Fuga’s death

B) His father’s death

C) His release from prison

D) Ana’s firing from the hotel

6. What do Julia and Daniel have in common?

A) They both want to use art to fight fascism.

B) They both want Ana to quit her job at the hotel.

C) They both have troubled relationships with their fathers.

D) They both take responsibility for raising siblings.

7. Which aspect of Daniel’s character is demonstrated by his desire for a relationship with Ana, the package he leaves behind in Spain, and his reaction to the Pact of Forgetting?

A) His willingness to sacrifice for others

B) His somewhat naive optimism

C) His belief that spreading truth leads to justice

D) His loving and generous nature

8. Which character most clearly represents the culture and values of the old Spain, before Franco took over?

A) Lorenza

B) Rafa

C) Fuga

D) Julia

9. Which character functions as a kind of father figure to Daniel?

A) Shep

B) Nick

C) Rafa

D) Ben

10. Which symbolic motif is used to characterize Daniel throughout much of the novel?

A) The cowboy

B) The orphan

C) The diplomat

D) The soldier

11. What point is conveyed through Rafa’s determination to keep the abuse he suffered a secret, the bargain Puri strikes with Sister Hortensia that causes Puri to enter a convent, and Julia’s refusal to speak about the loss of her child?

A) There is a certain nobility in silent suffering.

B) People have a right to keep sorrows private.

C) There is sometimes a high price to be paid for silence.

D) Breaking a silence can be both painful and healing.

12. Which symbolic motif is used throughout the novel to represent Spain’s cultural heritage, passion, and pride?

A) Blood

B) Bullfighting

C) Poetry

D) Music

13. Which of the following statements is most clearly supported by the action of the novel?

A) Silence in the face of oppression is cowardly.

B) Silence is sometimes necessary for survival.

C) Silence is often the best form of resistance.

D) Silence is an unforgivable form of complicity.

14. Which of the following statements is most clearly supported by the action of the novel?

A) Resistance to oppression takes many forms.

B) Resistance is not effective when it is private.

C) Resistance to oppression is useless.

D) Resistance is only an option for the privileged.

15. Which of the following statements is most clearly supported by the action of the novel?

A) Fascism arises in countries weakened by political apathy.

B) Fascism is an inevitable part of the cycling of political beliefs.

C) Fascism can be overcome by persistent protest and non-cooperation.

D) Fascism is extraordinarily difficult for the ordinary citizen to defeat.

Long Answer

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

1. In what sense is Fountains of Silence a coming-of-age story for its protagonist?

2. What ironic life choice do Daniel and Nick have in common?

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