View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which member of the Johnson family always criticizes the others?

2. At the beginning of "Everyday Use," how does Ms. Johnson think Maggie will feel during Dee's visit?

3. What does Dee want to match a green suit she makes from an old suit someone gives her mother?

4. How many rooms does the Johnsons' current house have?

5. In Ms. Johnson's dreams, what does Dee pin on her dress on the television program?

Short Essay Questions

1. What other folk art is mentioned in "Everyday Use" besides quilting?

2. To whom is Dee referring when she says "It's really a new day for us" at the end of the story?

3. Why does Ms. Johnson prefer that the hand-stitched quilts go to Maggie instead of Dee?

4. Explain how Ms. Johnson looks in real life and how her actual appearance differs from how she appears in her dreams.

5. Why does Dee include the house in every picture she takes with her camera if she dislikes the house?

6. How did Dee react when her mother offered her a quilt before Dee left for college and what has caused her to change her opinion about having a quilt now?

7. What is the significance of Dee's always wanting to read to people in her youth?

8. In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," who is the antagonist of the story and what identifies that character as the antagonist?

9. Which Johnson sister knows how to quilt and what does her ability illustrate about her character?

10. How do African Americans change from the days of Ms. Johnson's youth in the 1920s to the era of the 1960s in which the story "Everyday People" is set?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The predominant characters in "Everyday Use" are women. Male characters have minor roles and only one male character, Hakim-a-barber, actually appears on stage in the story. Discuss the role of male characters in the story and what you think the author is saying about Black culture by having female characters dominate her story. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how the following characters either defy or define stereotypes of Black women living in the rural south: Dee/Wangero, Ms. Johnson, Grandma Dee, and Maggie. Are their backgrounds and character traits typical or atypical of the stereotype of Black women living in the rural south in the 1960s? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the use of color in the story. Select at least three examples from the following list and discuss what they mean and how the author uses them to convey a theme or depict a character: Dee's white heels, Dee's yellow organdy dress, Dee's green suit, Dee's yellow and orange dress, Dee's gold earrings and bracelets, or Maggie's pink skirt and red blouse.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,246 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample