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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 happens to a house in Meridian's neighborhood one night?

2. Who is Meridian's friend who also got pregnant at the age of 14?

3. What has a traveling circus brought to town?

4. What is a woman doing in the town square of Chicokema?

5. Under what kind of tree does Meridian bury the object in #34?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Meridian's guilt escalate when she gives up her son to go to college?

2. What is the story of The Sojourner magnolia tree?

3. Why is the death of Lynne and Truman's daughter unfortunately a natural extension of their "unnatural" marriage?

4. What happens to Meridian when she finally succumbs to Truman's advances?

5. What is the significance of the synagogue bombing in Lynne's world?

6. What does Lynne tell Meridian about her past experiences with black men and how they have impacted her life?

7. What is the nature of Truman and Lynne's relationship at the end of the book?

8. What is the difference between how Meridian and Truman view the story of the woman whose husband loved his dog more than he loved her?

9. What is an important theme of the story introduced in the first section?

10. What is life like for Truman and Lynne in the South?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

MERIDIAN is sometimes defined as being written in the historical fiction style. What does that classification entail? Why does this novel fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Walker is a master at dramatic devices. Choose an example of symbolism, metaphors, and irony, briefly describe them and identify the technique which they embody.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall setting for the novel. Why does Walker use the setting she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

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This section contains 992 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample