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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. What organization does Ellen join to curb her boredom in the winter?

2. What item does Ellen's new mama never seem to run out of?

3. Who does Ellen consider killing?

4. Who takes Ellen into town for a new coat?

5. How long does Ellen's new roommate let her stay when Ellen runs away from her father's home?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the pony's name, Dolphin, a symbol of freedom to Ellen?

2. How can a reader tell that Ellen may harbor some prejudices toward African American people?

3. How does Ellen's grandmother cause a scene at the funeral?

4. In what ways does the author indicate that Ellen's father killed Ellen's mother?

5. What are some of the fun and leisure activities Ellen is granted in her new home?

6. How does the fact that Ellen is concerned with snakes in her new life hint at how she feels about the members of her family?

7. At the funeral, why does Ellen avoid looking at her mother's grave?

8. How is Ellen's grandmother's removal of Ellen's mother's clothes symbolic to the story?

9. In Chapter 1, Ellen contemplates killing someone. How does Ellen plan to kill this person and respond to the death if she actually goes through with it?

10. How is Ellen wearing her mother's clothes symbolic to the story?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An underlining theme throughout the novel was death. Several people in Ellen's life died, and metaphorically Ellen herself died and had a rebirth. Using details from the text describe how the topic of death was a central theme throughout the novel.

Essay Topic 2

In what ways does addiction manifest itself in Ellen's story? How does Ellen cope with the addiction around her?

Essay Topic 3

Using class discussion and the text as an aid describe some of Ellen's extended family relationships. Is there a closeness between the family? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 603 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample