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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. In a letter to Celestial in Part One: "Bridge Music," Roy tells his wife all the things he misses about her. What does he say he misses most?

2. What is the name of the hotel where Roy and Celestial stayed when visiting his parents on Labor Day weekend?

3. Where did Olive finish high school?

4. What did Roy do when Celestial almost had a nervous breakdown because it seemed like the hickory-nut tree in their yard was dying?

5. For about how long was Celestial's mother having an affair with her father before they married?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Celestial's baby doll in the prison outfit symbolize?

2. Where is Roy from? How is this setting described?

3. How does Mr. Davenport respond when Andre announces his engagement to Celestial?

4. How does Andre justify his relationship with Celestial in his first monologue in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me"?

5. Where did Roy study? What career does he set out on after college?

6. What is Mr. D's response to Roy's letter in Part One: "Bridge Music"?

7. How would you describe the relationship between Roy's parents and Celestial?

8. Why does Roy write to "Mr. D" in Part One: "Bridge Music"?

9. When and where did Andre introduce Roy to Celestial? What became of it?

10. What happened on Roy and Celestial's first anniversary?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's use of foreshadowing in An American Marriage. From the first pages of this novel, the reader becomes aware that there will be a setback to the happy marriage of Roy and Celestial. What clues indicate the events that will happen? How do these events play out?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the element of setting in An American Marriage. Why is the setting of this story important? Could this novel take place anywhere else? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Outline and discuss the plot structure of An American Marriage. Where in the novel do the following occur: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement? How does the novel progress chronologically? Does the author make use of flashbacks or flash-forwards?

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This section contains 816 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample