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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. Why advantage does Ms. Johnson think her substitute gift has over the quilts Wangero wants?

2. Which character in "Everyday Use" has burn scars?

3. To whom does Ms. Johnson always talk "With one foot raised in flight" and her head turned in whatever direction is farthest from them?

4. How many sons does Ms. Johnson have?

5. What is the first thing out of the car upon Dee's arrival that identifies Dee to Ms. Johnson?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe John Thomas and his role in the story.

2. What level of education does Dee have and how does it differ from the educational levels of her mother and sister?

3. What information is revealed about Grandma Dee in "Everyday Use" even though she never appears onstage?

4. Why does Dee change her name to Wangero in "Everyday Use?"

5. Who is the protagonist of "Everyday Use" and what identifies that character as the protagonist?

6. Why doesn't Dee think Maggie deserves their mother's two hand-stitched quilts?

7. Describe the Johnson family home.

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

9. What is the significance of the sunglasses Dee wears at the end of the story and the fact that they hide most of her face?

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

Discuss Ms. Johnson's dream about appearing on the Johnny Carson show with Dee. What significance do you think this dream has to the story? What does the dream reveal about Ms. Johnson's relationship with her daughter? What does the dream reveal about Ms. Johnson's feelings about herself versus how she wishes she was? What do you think Alice Walker is trying to say through this dream? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

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

Dee changes her name to Wangero in "Everyday Use." Discuss this name change citing examples from the text to support your arguments.

Part I: Discuss what Dee's name change indicates about her character.

Part II: Discuss what Dee's name change indicates about the era in which she lives.

Part III: Discuss what Dee's name change illustrates about her relationship with her family.

(see the answer keys)

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