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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. Where did Jack Woodson earn a scholarship to attend college?

2. What form are the poems of Brown Girl Dreaming?

3. What was the occupation of Jacqueline Woodson's maternal grandfather?

4. What is the name of the predominantly African-American community in Greenville, South Carolina, that is described by the poet?

5. When was Malcolm X born?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the focus of the poem "Football Dreams"? What is related in this narrative?

2. How does the author describe her feelings about the Bible and Christianity in "Bible Times"?

3. How does the author describe her ancestry in "February 12, 1963"?

4. What event is described in the poem "The Candy Lady"?

5. What story is related from Grandma Georgiana's perspective in "Other People’s Memory"?

6. How does the author establish the social and political atmosphere into which she was born in "Second Daughter’s Second Day on Earth"?

7. How is the Woodsons' lineage described in "The Woodsons of Ohio"?

8. Into what genres does Brown Girl Dreaming fall? How are these genres defined?

9. How are the poet's parents described in "Second Daughter’s Second Day on Earth"?

10. How does the author describe her siblings in the poems "The Reader" and "Hope" from Part 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of pride, prejudice, and the American Dream in Brown Girl Dreaming. How are these themes embodied by Georgiana, Gunnar, Mary Anne, and Jackie? What symbolism and imagery in the narrative relates to these themes?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss free verse versus blank verse. What form are the poems of Brown Girl Dreaming? What form do haikus take? What poems from the anthology are written in traditional haiku format?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of ancestry and its importance in the narrative. How is Jacqueline Woodson influenced by her family’s ancestry and past? Why do you think ancestry is important?

(see the answer keys)

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