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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. About how many hours straight does Roy describe spending with Davina after he went to her home for dinner the first time in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me"?

2. Who was Celestial's supervisor at the restaurant where she worked who spoke French?

3. What kind of business did Andre's father run?

4. What did Celestial drink at the bar after Olive's funeral?

5. Roy says in Part Two: "Prepare a Table for Me" that "In Eloe, if you want to know who you're supposed to be, you don't have to go further than" what (160)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What chafes Roy about his release from prison?

2. What does Roy's missing tooth represent symbolically in the novel?

3. What is Davina's home like? What does she cook Roy for dinner?

4. How is Christmas Day described in Part Three: "Generosity"?

5. What impression did Big Roy have on Andre at Olive's funeral?

6. What does Celestial mean when she says that "Much of life is timing and circumstance" (138)?

7. Who is Tamar and what advice does she give to Roy?

8. What do condoms represent symbolically in the novel?

9. What does Andre learn upon arriving at Big Roy's house? How does he respond to this news?

10. What do the salmon croquettes represent symbolically in the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the characters of Big Roy and Walter Jenkins. What is each character's relationship like with Roy? How does each character feel about Roy and how does he express those feelings?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Tayari Jones's use of irony in An American Marriage. What is the definition of irony? What are the three types of irony used in literature? Give one example of each type from the novel and discuss its usage.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the symbolism of Old Hickey in the novel. What does the tree represent to Celestial? What does it represent to Andre? Why does Roy attempt to destroy the tree?

(see the answer keys)

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