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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How could Jack tell Ruby was not a typical migrant worker?

2. After finding her husband with another woman, what did Ruby do?

3. Where did Ruby and John finally land?

4. Why did Lonnie ask Burr to marry Tiny Fran?

5. What did John do that was the last straw for Ruby?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Ruby die, and why was this so frustrating for Jack?

2. What did Ruby and Jack's mother have in common?

3. Describe Ruby's upbringing and why she was unprepared for someone like John Woodrow.

4. How did Jack meet Ruby?

5. What did Jack think of John Woodrow?

6. What did Jack do while Ruby was in her coffin, and why?

7. Why did Lonnie Hoover ask Burr to marry Tiny Fran?

8. What happened when Ruby's mother invited the migrant workers into the house for lunch?

9. What did Ruby plan to do to John Woodrow after she caught him cheating?

10. How did Jack's father die?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the theme of grief in its various forms as it appears throughout the story, e.g. Ruby's grief over the inability to have children, Jack's grief over the loss of his parents, Ruby's grief for leaving her family for John Woodrow, etc.

Essay Topic 2

Explore the theme of death that occurs throughout the novel. How does death affect the various characters? How do some deaths, such as that of Burr's father, compare and contrast to Ruby's in how it affects their loved ones?

Essay Topic 3

Race relations come up within the story. Describe African-American roles within the story and argue whether these characters are portrayed realistically or stereotypically.

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