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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. Which of the couple's children could not forgive his decision to leave their mother?

2. In "The Store", how old was the protagonist when he decided to quit his first job?

3. How does the protagonist of "The Store" respond to the police officer who confronts him about jay-walking?

4. What position does Lonney's father hold?

5. What does Lydia ask of the nurse who calls to inform her of her mother's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the woman Mildred's husband had an affair with.

2. How do the Gospelteers respond to the fire at the church?

3. Why does Marvella keep her children at the school in Northwest?

4. Explain why the judge tells Samuel Williams Sr.'s lawyer that he cannot defend a man who will not defend himself.

5. Discuss the way the dreadlock man responds to Marvella's children.

6. How does Mansfield's mistress talk to Lydia about her husband?

7. In "An Orange Line Train to Ballston", describe the opening of the story.

8. Discuss Lydia's desire to get "lost in the city" in order to deal with her grief at her mother's death.

9. What does the protagonist of "The Store" do when Penny decides to sell the store?

10. Discuss the infighting that occurs amongst the Gospelteers.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the role of community in the stories throughout this collection. How do people form community in Jones' work? What do their communities mean in their daily lives? What is Jones' commentary about the significance of community and social interaction?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the way in which race emerges as a theme in the stories. Although the book is comprised of a majority of black characters, Jones still approaches and interrogates notions of race in the United States. Using evidence from at least four stories, discuss the way in which Jones treats the topic of race. Why does he choose to focus entirely on African-American characters? How do these characters perceive their own racial identity and place with the society of the United States? Is this perception influenced by generation or class?

(see the answer keys)

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