View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Jones discover when he gets home from Lutie's?

2. What does Boots invite Lutie to do?

3. How does driving his car make Boots feel?

4. What did Lutie find when she entered her home after receiving her father's letter?

5. What type of advice does Mrs. Hedges offer Min?

Short Essay Questions

1. Chapter 5 introduces the relationship between Mrs. Hedges and Min. How would you describe this relationship? Why does Min finds refuge in Mrs. Hedges?

2. In Chapter 1, what idea does the author hope to represent with the shrinking canary, dog, and woman in Jones' apartment?

3. Why has Lutie failed, up until Chapter 9, to consider that Bub might be afraid of staying home alone?

4. Chapter 5 is written from Min's point of view. Why has the author chosen to use different narrators?

5. How did the white bartenders treat the patrons of Junto's? How did this treatment differ from the treatment they received in the workforce?

6. Chapter 2 introduces Mrs. Pizzini as the character who provides a letter of reference for Lutie. Mrs. Pizzini shares some advice with Lutie about the effects of working while raising a family: "It's best that the man do the work when the babies are young. And when the man is young. Not good for the woman to work when she's young. Not good for the man." Why does Lutie originally brush Mrs. Pizzini off and then later recall the advice over and over again?

7. How does Jones's decision to kick Min out after visiting Lutie's apartment reflect his mental instability?

8. Chapter 1 outlines the dynamics of Lutie's household. Lutie's father's girlfriend, Lil, has Bub lighting her cigarettes and tasting her gin. How does Lil's behavior reflect and amplify Lutie's fears for her son?

9. While riding with Boots, Lutie comes to the conclusion that it would be better to be born with no brain than to understand everything you cannot reach. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

10. The author paints Jones as an obsessive character. He snoops around Lutie's apartment fantasizing about her and bothering her possessions. What does this behavior seem to foreshadow?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Every writer has his or her own style. That style is marked by word choice, sentence structure, and elements like characterization and plot development. How would you describe Ann Petry's style? Be sure to use direct quotes from the text to illustrate your point. It may be helpful to compare and contrast Petry to other authors you've read.

Essay Topic 2

The Street presents the reader with several conflicted characters--characters who exhibit both honorable and deplorable qualities. Consider the characters and their conflicting qualities. It may be helpful to outline your ideas. Once you've completed the outline, write a brief essay analyzing these characters. In addition, give your opinion on Petry's choice to employ such characters.

Essay Topic 3

Bub is deathly afraid of the dark. It seems that darkness is always accompanied by Lutie's absence. How do you think Lutie has impacted Bub's fears? What conclusions can you draw about what Bub's life will be like now that Lutie has fled?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,016 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample