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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. When did Myron come home from the war?

2. Why is Stanley not able to walk Miriam down the aisle?

3. Where did August used to go for summer camps every July?

4. In Chapter 14, what type of dress is Della making for Mrs. Finley?

5. In Chapter 14, what type of ice cream do Hazel and Myron always get?

Short Essay Questions

1. When did Miriam graduate from nursing school, and what was her graduation ceremony like?

2. When Joan is a junior in high school, what art class is she taking?

3. In Chapter 22, how does Miriam hear about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon?

4. How do the visits August makes to see Derek affect her?

5. How did Hazel's father die?

6. How long has Miss Dawn known August?

7. What flood has affected Memphis in 1937?

8. Where does Hazel meet Myron, and what is their first encounter like?

9. What does Miss Dawn tell Joan when Joan tells her about applying to art school in London?

10. What was Derek's trial like?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

August is Derek’s mother. What type of relationship do August and Derek have? Why has August had to rearrange her life around her son? Why does August feel that she has failed her son?

Essay Topic 2

An allusion is a figure of speech that does not directly refer to a person, place, or thing. What are some allusions in Memphis: A Novel? Why might it be difficult to decipher an allusion just by the context of a passage in a book? How do the allusions Stringfellow uses help readers’ understanding of characters or concepts?

Essay Topic 3

Myron North built the Memphis house. What does the Memphis house mean to Miram and Joan? Why do they feel differently about the house?

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