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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 did Pammy take Alma to on Mother's Day?

2. In addition to working "dumb jobs" (3) and never marrying, what are Pammy and Paulie always doing?

3. How does Alma remember Debi when they were in high school?

4. What does Alma recall Pammy doing once when Alma tried to adjust her collar when she was younger?

5. What did Alma feel her children ruined when it came to her and Paul, Sr.'s relationship?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Alma feel about how her children turned out despite being such smart children?

2. What does Alma remember about the time she visited the zoo with Pammy and Paulie as children?

3. Who is Paul, Sr.? What did he do for work? Was he successful? How do you know?

4. Who is Paulie? Why is he not with Alma at the start of the story?

5. What did Alma do for her husband to entice him to stay home when he began staying out all night when the children were young?

6. How does Alma feel about Pammy pointing out the purple flowers to her on their walk? What is Pammy wearing and how does Alma feel about her outfit?

7. Who is Pammy? Who is Alma? Why are they together at the start of "Mother's Day"?

8. Who is Debi Hather? Where does Alma first see her in the story? How does Alma remember her?

9. What were Paul, Sr.'s vices?

10. What does Paulie recall from the night he hit his father in the groin for scaring him and his sister? What does Alma recall?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing Paul, Sr.'s character in "Mother's Day." Who was he? What was his relationship with Alma and Debi? How does his character drive the narrative and speak to the themes of the past and regret?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay comparing and contrasting Alma and Debi in "Mother's Day." What details help develop their character and what do these details tell you about them? What is their background? How do they know each other? How do they interact? In what ways are they similar or different? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Write a brief essay analyzing the title “Mother's Day." Explore the ways in which this title connects to the plot and themes of the story.

(see the answer keys)

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