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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 does the protagonist's mother do when the teacher introduces herself in "The First Day"?

2. What time does Caesar agree to return to Manny's that night?

3. How old are the mentally handicapped woman and her housemates?

4. How many times this week has Caesar dreamed of the mentally disabled woman he plans to defraud?

5. What does the janitor, Jake Horton, send to Betsy Ann?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Cassandra response to Roger's attempt to rape Melanie?

2. How does Robert respond to his daughter's desire to raise pigeons of her own?

3. Describe the errand Gladys' mother pays Cassandra to run.

4. How does Cassandra respond to teachers' attempts to set her straight?

5. Describe the relationship between Robert and Clara in "The Girl Who Raised Pigeons."

6. Describe Robert's reaction to becoming a widower and single father in "The Girl Who Raised Pigeons."

7. What is the central difference between Caesar and Sherman?

8. In "The First Day", why does the little girl at Walker-Jones Elementary look at the protagonist's mother as though she is "diseased"?

9. How do Caesar and Carol steal from their mark?

10. How does Robert treat his daughter Betsy Ann?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the background of each of the stories in the collection, the framework of the government and legal structure appears to hinder or support the characters. Selecting at least 2 or 3 of the stories in the collection, analyze Jones' commentary regarding the success or failure of the U.S. government to provide for the people of this community. Does Jones seem to think that the government has failed its people? Or, that it does a good job protecting their rights? Or, is his commentary perhaps more nuanced? Provide details from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Explore the role and characterization of the police officers in the work. How do the police interact with the characters in Jones' stories? Is the relationship between the characters and the police officers antagonistic? Respectful? What might Jones be saying about the treatment this community receives from its police officers in this collection?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the collection, Jones presents a fairly nuanced portrayal of gender roles in the African-American community of Washington, D.C. Select at least 3 short stories from the collection and discuss the ways in which the characters in these stories respond to the roles imposed on them based on their gender. Do these characters conform or rebel? What do we learn about them based on their compliance or defiance? What might Jones' message regarding gender roles be?

(see the answer keys)

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