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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 is Ms. Johnson's marital state?

2. What drives Jimmy T, a former suitor, away from Dee?

3. Which character in "Everyday Use" doesn't read well due to poor eyesight?

4. What does Wangero plan to do with the quilts?

5. Which character in "Everyday Use" always walks with her eyes on the ground and her chin on her chest?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is revealed about Aunt Dicie/Big Dee in "Everyday Use" even though she doesn't appear onstage?

2. What does the way Dee dresses for her visit with her family indicate about her character?

3. What kind of life has Ms. Johnson lived?

4. Why does Ms. Johnson's clean her yard prior to Dee's visit at the beginning of Alice Walker's "Everyday Use?"

5. What is Maggie's relationship with Dee like?

6. Describe Dee's relationship with Jimmy T and what it indicates about her.

7. 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?

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

9. What is Ms. Johnson's relationship with her daughter Dee like?

10. Explain Dee's feelings about white people.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Grandma Dee, Aunt Dicie or Big Dee, Grandpa Jarrell, Great-Grandpa Ezra and John Thomas are mentioned in "Everyday Use" but never appear on stage. Discuss these minor characters from the story and how the author uses them to illustrate her themes of family and community. Are there any other themes you think the author uses the characters to convey? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

The Johnson family's quilts are a recurring motif throughout "Everyday Use." Cite three examples from the text of the use of this motif and discuss what you think it represents in each example.

Essay Topic 3

Ms. Johnson is the narrator of "Everyday Use." Do you think she is the most appropriate narrator for this story? Why or why not? Discuss her effectiveness as narrator and how the story would change if Dee or Maggie narrated it instead. Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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